[c#] Accessing the target path of a shortcut (*.lnk)?

Dj_Jestar · 20 Jan 2009 at 15:06

I've been banging my head on my desk for ten minutes. I'm simply trying to find the target path of a shortcut file. I have seen examples that read the .lnk as a binary and parse the data, but I'd rather hope there was a more standard, higher level way of doing this. In semi-pseudo I just want to be able to:

Code:

ShortcutFile file = new ShortcutFile("c:\dir\shortcut.lnk");
String target = file.TargetPath;

but it seems this is not the case.

I've looked around MSDN and google for sometime and the closest I got was Windows Scripting Object COM library (IWshRuntimeLibrary) but it spits the fallback COM error (the defacto "'unknown error' error")

Help?!

Mickey · 20 Jan 2009 at 15:18

Using the IWshRuntimeLibrary works fine for me:

Code:

private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    string linkPathName = @"d:\Test.lnk";

    if (System.IO.File.Exists(linkPathName))
    {
        WshShell shell = new WshShell();
        IWshShortcut link = (IWshShortcut)shell.CreateShortcut(linkPathName);
        
        txtTarget.Text = link.TargetPath;
        txtWorkingDir.Text = link.WorkingDirectory;
    }
}

Dj_Jestar · 20 Jan 2009 at 15:27

"Cannot create instance of the abstract class or interface 'IWshRuntimeLibrary.WshShell'"

Which version of the runtime are you using, if you don't mind me asking?

Mickey · 20 Jan 2009 at 15:30

A bit more info about your setup?

Dj_Jestar · 20 Jan 2009 at 15:34

Vista 64 Business, VS2008, .NET 3.5

mk17 · 20 Jan 2009 at 15:41

Dj_Jestar said:
"Cannot create instance of the abstract class or interface 'IWshRuntimeLibrary.WshShell'"

...

You need a couple of extra steps to make Mickey's code work:

After creating your project, right-click on the project name within the Solution Explorer, select "Add Reference", select the "COM" tab, find and select the "Windows Script Host Object Model" in the listbox, click "Select", and then click "OK"

add the following to your file:

using IWshRuntimeLibrary;

Dj_Jestar · 20 Jan 2009 at 15:44

I've got all those.. that particular error was because I have to use WshShellClass(), rather than WshShell() - which is why I asked the version.

I'm also accessing the file across the network.. so the filename is \\server\share\file.lnk format.

Mickey · 20 Jan 2009 at 15:44

I'm on Vista 64 Ultimate, VS2008, .NET 3.5 SP1.

I've tested it in a windows forms app and an asp.net website, works perfectly for me.

Pho · 20 Jan 2009 at 15:46

Dj_Jestar said:
I'm also accessing the file across the network.. so the filename is \\server\share\file.lnk format.

Does it work from a mapped drive?

Dj_Jestar · 20 Jan 2009 at 15:46

and my head banging continues :/

Which version of the library is shown in the references dialogue window, if you don't mind? Mine is showing as 1.0.

Dj_Jestar · 20 Jan 2009 at 15:48

Pho said:
Does it work from a mapped drive?

No. :/

Mickey · 20 Jan 2009 at 15:55

Mickey · 20 Jan 2009 at 15:56

You are remembering to escape your back slashes...right?

Dj_Jestar · 20 Jan 2009 at 15:56

ffs.. this was a real PEBKAC, I wasn't including the .lnk on the extension.

Pho · 20 Jan 2009 at 15:57

Least you remembered to check your version of VS this time

.

Dj_Jestar · 20 Jan 2009 at 15:58

er.. yeah

*ahem*

Panser_bjorn · 20 Jan 2009 at 16:09

lol - there goes my post about how it works fine...

We all make mistakes.. that's how people learn.