The editor of Downcodes will help you understand the common reasons and solutions for why desktop shortcuts cannot be opened, but the original files can be opened normally. Shortcuts are small tools that facilitate us to quickly launch programs, but sometimes they do not work properly. This may be caused by various factors such as shortcut corruption, target path changes, system permission issues, or virus infection. This article will analyze these problems in detail and provide corresponding solutions to help you quickly solve your problems.
The reasons why desktop shortcuts cannot be opened but the original files can be opened usually involve several aspects, including shortcut corruption, target path changes, system permission settings, and the impact of viruses or malware. These factors may work individually or together to prevent applications from being launched from shortcuts. Among them, shortcut corruption is the most common cause. A shortcut is essentially a link to the original program or file. If the target path of the link is changed or damaged, the shortcut will not execute correctly. For example, when the original program is moved to a new location, the original shortcut still points to the old location, making it impossible to open it. At this point, re-creating the shortcut may resolve the issue.
Next, we will elaborate on various aspects that may cause this problem.
Corrupted shortcuts are the most common reason why desktop shortcuts cannot be opened. When the shortcut file itself is faulty or damaged, the shortcut cannot be successfully accessed even if the original program or file is intact. In this case, recreating the shortcut is the simplest and most straightforward solution.
First, delete the shortcuts that aren't working. Then, find the location of the original program or file, right-click and select "Create Shortcut" or "Send to" Desktop Shortcut. This will generate a new shortcut, which usually solves the problem.
If a file or folder of an installed program is moved to another location but the shortcut on the desktop is not updated, it may become impossible to open it through the shortcut. This is because the shortcut cannot find the current target path.
Solving this problem requires manually modifying the target path of the shortcut. Right-click the shortcut, select "Properties", and in the "Target" field under the "Shortcut" tab, change the path to the current actual path of the program or file. After the modification is completed, click "Apply" and then "OK", and the shortcut should work normally.
Sometimes, even if there is no problem with the shortcut and the original file, it may happen that the program cannot be opened through the shortcut due to system permission settings. Administrator rights may prevent regular users from launching specific programs via shortcuts.
To resolve this issue, try running the shortcut as administrator. Right-click the shortcut and select "Run as administrator." If this opens the program, consider changing the program's permission settings, or permanently running the program with administrator privileges.
Viruses or malware can sometimes destroy the functionality of a shortcut or replace the shortcut with a link to a malicious program. Not only does this prevent the shortcut from working properly, it may also pose a risk to system security. Timely virus scanning and cleaning is necessary.
First, run a full scan of your system using reliable antivirus software. Make sure all software is up to date so the latest threats can be identified and eliminated. If the virus scan finds a threat, please handle it according to the guidance of the software. After processing is complete, try opening the program using the shortcut again.
To sum up, when faced with the problem that the desktop shortcut cannot be opened but the original file can be opened, first consider whether the shortcut is damaged or whether the target path has changed. Then, check your system permission settings and run a virus scan to make sure the problem isn't caused by these factors. Most shortcut-related issues can usually be resolved by following these steps.
Why can't my desktop shortcut be opened, but the original file can be opened?
It may be that the target path of the shortcut has been changed. Check the shortcut's properties to make sure it points to the correct file path. If the target path is changed, the shortcut cannot find the correct file to open.
It's possible that the shortcut's target file has been deleted or moved. If you moved the original file to another location or deleted it, the shortcut won't be able to find the correct file to open. In this case, you can try recreating a new shortcut, making sure it points to the correct file path.
It could be that the shortcut itself is corrupted. A shortcut is a special file type that cannot be opened if it is damaged. You can try deleting the broken shortcut and creating a new one to replace it.
I hope the above answers can help you solve your problem! If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.
I hope this guide from the editor of Downcodes can help you solve the problem of desktop shortcuts not opening! If you have any questions, please leave a message in the comment area, and the editor of Downcodes will try our best to answer them.