"Open Shortcut Location" (not File nor Folder location)

Hept0p · 26 Jun 2018

Has anyone ever figured out how to create an "Open Shortcut Location" shell context menu icon (ie right-click on any shortcut files (.lnk)).

Windows only actually offers to open the shortcut files (.lnk)'s TARGET locationⁱ from the shell context menu, never I've seen a way to Open the location of THE shortcut (.lnk) FILE itselft from context menu. That's precisely what I've always needed.

ⁱ They use different names such as "Open File Location", "Open Folder Location", "Explore", "Open Target Location" .... which all do the same (aka opening the shortcut's target location, not it's actual own location)

TLDR;
How would you go on creating a shell (or shellex) context menu for LNK files (folders/files shortcuts files) which would Actually open the shortcut file's location rather than it's target location...

FYI: I know about Shawn's reg file/tuto #236988 to add/remove the stock menu, but I repeat, this is not what I'm looking for, I want a way to open the actual shortcut location file from context menu, not its target location.

Snick · 28 Jun 2018

Hi HeptOp,
Peruse How to Add or Remove Options from Context Menus in Windows
Backup your registry before you attempt it. Better safe than sorry!
Personally, I'd create a full system image backup to external HDD.

Nic

iko22 · 29 Jun 2018

Hello HeptOp

Incidentally, what were you hoping to achieve, did you just wish to find the path of the shortcut? If you just wanted to find the path of the shortcut then you can use the extended context menu and select "copy as path". This saves the shortcut path to the clipboard. Otherwise you could paste the .ink path into windows wordpad.

Here is my proposed "partial" solution
1) To open the extended context menu press and hold shift key before right-mouse clicking on the shortcut item.
2) Select "copy as path".
3) Open wordpad.
4) Paste path of shortcut item from clipboard into wordpad.