How to make explorer see/process a hidden desktop link at startup

I'm sure I can safely assume nobody has ever asked this question before (or probably even thought of why one might want such a thing!).

You see, I have this program that I made which I use to send running apps to the system tray. I use the program exclusively through explorer's desktop link "shortcut key" feature (ie. Ctrl + Alt + ?). In fact, I use the feature for two programs using the same feature. I find this to be very handy because in both cases I want to bring the programs up mostly when the desktop is obscured, or when I need to keep the mouse cursor fixed or whatever. Doesn't matter.

Thing is, once explorer is up and running you can hide those desktop shortcuts and the shortcut keys still work. I have no use for those icons on my desktop, and in fact I don't want to see them at all so I have a batch file that hides them as soon as I open up any cmd box. Problem is, if I log off then when explorer restarts it doesn't pick up the .lnk files and I have to unhide them, restart explorer then hide them again. But I know that H is just an attribute and explorer can still see the files and process them if I could only find a way to ask it to do so. I tried setting just the 'S' attribute which (according to my settings) *should* make a file invisible to me even though it is not "hidden". But either the settings are lying or there's more to making something a system file than setting the system file attribute.

If anyone knows how to achieve this (make the links hidden to me, but not explorer) I'd be eternally grateful.

- Alan (yes, typo in my username)

If you don't need the shortcuts on the desktop why do you put them there? The keyboard command should work wherever you put the shortcut. Try creating the shortcut in the program's folder and set the keyboard command as usual via shortcut properties. Then leave the shortcut alone.

I already tried it. The shortcuts only work if the .lnk file is on the desktop.

Sorry, you are right: create the shortcut on the desktop, pin to the Start menu, then create the keyboard shortcut. Tested just now with launching the Avira control center.....
and another solution HERE

Hmm, well yes it does seem to work!

Except, of course, I don't want it in my start menu either .

But it's better ... maybe I can make a "folder" on the startmenu? because I have several links I would like to have hotkeys for and my startmenu contains exactly as many icons I need, and no more. So it is already quite full.

Oh, and thank you very much! I really appreciate it.

Try the option in the thread I linked to with creating a folder in the app data folder. I have not tested myself though.....

Okay, but actually I have one outstanding icon that I can't fix that way. Not sure what to do about it. Your trick worked for the first two which were links to programs. But the 3rd one, which happens to be both on my desktop and on my start menu links to a ".wme" file which is associated with WME. As soon as I delete the link from the desktop Explorer asks if I want to delete it from my start menu because it is no longer valid. I have no idea how that happened in the first place! That is, the one on the start menu doesn't link to any program, it links to a link which in turn links to a file that has an associated program. But I should really see how to re-create that one first before saying anything more ...

******************** EDIT SOLUTION FOUND *******************

Instead of pinning the link to xxx.wme to the start menu (which creates a .lnk to .lnk file under the start menu's folder) don't rely on the association and place the full command line in instead.

Even though the 2 links appear identical under "properties", they are not. The properties dialog resolves the target of the 2nd .lnk file for display.

Thanks again,
- Alan

cyanna said:

Try the option in the thread I linked to with creating a folder in the app data folder. I have not tested myself though.....

I found the answer, see above.