{"id":1687,"date":"2019-05-16T16:03:41","date_gmt":"2019-05-16T16:03:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sorcim.com\/blog\/?p=1687"},"modified":"2024-12-23T23:58:17","modified_gmt":"2024-12-23T23:58:17","slug":"how-to-detect-duplicate-lnk-shortcuts-and-better-organize-your-hard-drive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sorcim.com\/blog\/how-to-detect-duplicate-lnk-shortcuts-and-better-organize-your-hard-drive","title":{"rendered":"How To Detect Duplicate .lnk Shortcuts in Your Hard Drive?"},"content":{"rendered":"

.lnk <\/b>is an abbreviation of link which is a shortcut file type <\/b>in Microsoft Windows operating system.<\/p>\n

.lnk shortcut <\/b>files are commonly used to redirect user to a particular file (for instance, a text file<\/b>, a spreadsheet <\/b>or even an executable file<\/b>). This saves time and efforts in navigating to the target file which may be located in a complex folder, sub-folder structure<\/b>, or perhaps a network location <\/b>on the Internet.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

These files can be typically distinguished between two categories:<\/p>\n

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  1. The first category of .lnk redirects user to the local content<\/b>. This means that, accessing the target file does not require any Internet connectivity as the same are stored on the internal hard disk<\/b>, or an external drive such as a USB stick <\/b>or an external hard disk<\/b>.<\/li>\n
  2. The second category of .lnk shortcuts require Internet connectivity<\/b>. This is because they either redirect user to a website <\/b>or an FTP file <\/b>stored on a web server<\/b>. It is a common practice to create shortcuts to important network places on the Web Drive<\/b>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Why Do I Have Too Many Duplicate .lnk Files Scattered All Over My Hard Disk?<\/span><\/h1>\n

    As you install new applications, they add-up new shortcuts in your Start Menu <\/b>and Desktop<\/b>, which leads to duplication.<\/p>\n

    Although .lnk shortcuts occupy a negligible amount of storage space <\/b>comparing to any other file type, they may actually impact your computer’s performance<\/b>. Too many Desktop and Start Menu shortcuts may result into a considerable amount of delay opening it. And needless to mention, it becomes fairly difficult to find the right file on time. Imagine having to browse through a long list of programs in your Start Menu.<\/p>\n

    It is a bit difficult to manually locate duplicate .lnk shortcuts. This is because two or more .lnk shortcuts may have the same file name<\/b>, yet they may be actually redirecting to an altogether different targets<\/b>.<\/p>\n

    For instance, a shortcut file “Google1.lnk<\/b>” may be referring to https:\/\/google.com<\/a> while another shortcut file “Google2.lnk<\/b>” may actually be referring to it’s subdomain https:\/\/drive.google.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Manually Identifying Duplicate .lnk Shortcuts<\/span><\/h1>\n

    It is a good practice to regularly delete duplicate shortcuts scattered across your Desktop, Start Menu for better performance and organization of your files. To manually find duplicate .lnk shortcuts located in your Start Menu, follow the steps given below:<\/p>\n

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    1. Press the Windows Key <\/b>+ R <\/b>keys simultaneously.<\/li>\n
    2. Type the following location:\n