Programming the WshShell Object : Working with Shortcuts

Creating a Shortcut

To create a shortcut, use the CreateShortcut method:

WshShell.CreateShortcut(strPathname)

The following example creates and saves a shortcut on a user’s desktop:

Set WshShell = objWScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Set objShortcut = objWshShell.CreateShortcut("C:\Users\Paul\Desktop\test.lnk")
objShortcut.Save

					  

Programming the WshShortcut Object

The CreateShortcut method returns a WshShortcut object. You can use this object to manipulate various properties and methods associated with shortcut files.

This object contains the following properties:

• Arguments— Returns or sets a string that specifies the arguments used when launching the shortcut. For example, suppose that the shortcut’s target is the following:

  C:\Windows\Notepad.exe C:\Boot.ini

  In other words, this shortcut launches Notepad and loads the Boot.ini file. In this case, the Arguments property would return the following string:

  C:\Boot.ini

• Description— Returns or sets a string description of the shortcut.

• FullName— Returns the full path and filename of the shortcut’s target. This will be the same as the strPathname value used in the CreateShortcut method.

• Hotkey— Returns or sets the hotkey associated with the shortcut. To set this value, use the following syntax:

  WshShortcut.Hotkey = strHotKey

  WshShortcut	The WshShortcut object.
  strHotKey	A string value of the form Modifier+Keyname, where Modifier is any combination of Alt, Ctrl, and Shift, and Keyname is one of A through Z or 0 through 12.

  
  

  For example, the following statement sets the hotkey to Ctrl+Alt+7:

  objShortcut.Hotkey = "Ctrl+Alt+7"

• IconLocation— Returns or sets the icon used to display the shortcut. To set this value, use the following syntax:

  WshShortcut.IconLocation = strIconLocation

  WshShortcut	The WshShortcut object.
  strIconLocation	A string value of the form Path,Index, where PathIndex is the position of the icon within the file (where the first icon is 0). is the full pathname of the icon file and

  
  

  Here’s an example:

  objShortcut.IconLocation = "C:\Windows\System32\Shell32.dll,21"

• TargetPath— Returns or sets the path of the shortcut’s target.

• WindowStyle— Returns or sets the window style used by the shortcut’s target. Use the same values outlined earlier for the Run method’s intWindowStyle argument.

• WorkingDirectory— Returns or sets the path of the shortcut’s working directory.

The WshShortcut object also supports two methods:

• Save— Saves the shortcut file to disk.

• Resolve— Uses the shortcut’s TargetPath property to look up the target file. Here’s the syntax:

  WshShortcut.Resolve = intFlag

  WshShortcut	The WshShortcut object.
  intFlag	Determines what happens of the target file is not found:

  
  

  intFlag	What Happens
  1	Nothing
  2	Windows continues to search subfolders for the target file
  4	Updates the TargetPath property if the target file is found in a new location

  
  

Listing 1 shows a complete example of a script that creates a shortcut.

Listing 1. A Script That Creates a Shortcut File

Set objWshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Set objShortcut = objWshShell.CreateShortcut("C:\Users\Paul\Desktop\Edit BOOT.INI.lnk")
With objShortcut
    .TargetPath = "C:\Windows\Notepad.exe "
    .Arguments = "C:\Boot.ini"
    .WorkingDirectory = "C:\"
    .Description = "Opens BOOT.INI in Notepad"
    .Hotkey = "Ctrl+Alt+7"
    .IconLocation = "C:\Windows\System32\Shell32.dll,21"
    .WindowStyle = 3
    .Save
End With