Fake Shortcuts in Windows - Is there an API? One for C#?

Question

I'm not sure what they call the fake shortcuts you often see in Windows now. A good example would be the link to any of the Office 2007 programs. You can tell one of these from a regular shortcut because the Target is grayed out and is not a real path. Can you access these through a .NET API? Like ask for the target? or get any of the information stored within it.

I think these are somehow related to Windows Installer and Advertised programs.

Answer 1

Yes, it is a advertised shortcut.

you have to call the windows installer to get the target.

currently i have only a delphi source for you, but perhaps you can pick some informations out.

delphi-library

in short - it uses the MsiGetShortcutTarget function to get the target.