shortcut for links (.lnk files) doesn't work

[mdet]

Hi there,
I had to migrate from NT to XP on my working place.
After the migration the short cuts for .lnk files on my desktop do not work any more.
The funny thing is, that I can reactivate this funcionality by changing the links properties. First deleting and then reassigning it's short cut yields the desired behaviour.
One thing that might cause this problem is the in house procedure of dealing with user profiles.
But instead of asking our PC staff what to do (they didn't even know the existence of short cuts) I try to get an answer through this way.
I tried to save the corrected .lnk files, rebooted the machine and restored these files to the appropriate desktop folder but it didn't work. It seems to me that defining a short cut for a link not only changes the .lnk file but does more.

Any suggestiions out there?

Thanks in advance.

 

[kippy13]

Do you get an error message when opening them?
Where are the links pointing too? Locally or on a server?
When you right click on the link and go to properties where does it point to?

"Sometimes I do not know but I try hard"- R.F. Haughty 1923

 

[mdet]

Hi Kippy13,
1. There are no error messages.
2. The links are pointing to a program in a local folder (C:\...\Desktop\myProgram.exe)
3. same as 2.


Greetings.

 

[kippy13]

Why would there be a shortcut to a file which resides on the desktop?
Can you give me a full path of where the file is and the full path of where the link points to?

"Sometimes I do not know but I try hard"- R.F. Haughty 1923

 

[bcastner]

I have a gut feeling that there is an issue with shortcut migration.

1. This problem occurs if you had files that were stored in a folder structure that exceeded MAX_PATH (256 characters) before you upgraded to Windows XP.

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314931

2. There is an issue with local drives, for which there is a hotfix:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q824143

3. There are issues with mapped drive shortcuts.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;303560&Product=winxp

 

[mdet]

Hi kippy13, hi bcastner,
obviously I did a wrong translation (my english isn't that good). I thought shortcut is to be understood as using a keystroke instead of fiddling with mouse clicks. The installation I'm dealing with is a german one and the thing here is called "Tastenkombination" (Ctrl-Alt-character) which may better be translated as "hot key" right?
I took a look at the links on support.microsoft.com but they don't seem to deal with that thing.
So I'm still unhappy beeing annoyed of fumbling from mouse to keyboard and backwards. As long as one can't do everything with the mouse I try to keep it consistent thus prefering typing.

greetings from Hamburg

 

[bcastner]

The entire keyboard service was redone beginning with Win2k. I think the workaround you have discovered is the only real solution.