Shortcut

Windows shortcuts aka LNK files have interesting capabilities. The shortcut target can be stored not only as a fixed-path string, but also as an item ID list. If a shortcut is equipped with such a list, it is - to a certain extent - platform-independent.

Ever wondered about the layout of shortcut files? Those tiny little buggers with the extension LNK you have probably dozens of on your desktop? For years the format was subject to reverse engineering and speculation. Last year Microsoft finally released an official format specification, documenting this surprisingly complex format. This article is the result of analyzing a typical LNK file with the help of Microsoft’s documentation and information from other sources.