When I move or delete the target of a shortcut and click the shortcut afterwards windows kindly starts searching and guessing.
How to disable this on Windows Server 2003? I'd prefer a quick error condition.
How to do the same on windows xp, maybe there is no difference?
Edit: For windows shortcuts see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolic_link#Microsoft_Windows
Windows shortcuts maintain their
connection even when the target is
moved, unlike symbolic links. Windows
XP will search for a broken link's
target before offering to delete it.
Edit2: From the accepted answer:
Quoted from http://www.tomstricks.com/how-to-disable-the-ntfs-file-system-tracking-of-broken-shortcut-links-in-windows/ :
Navigate to this registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Policies\Explorer
Add a new DWORD value and name it NoResolveTrack, set the value to 1.
Will only be effective after the next reboot. Applies only to target files on NTFS partitions. FAT partitions do not have this ID tracking and search capability.
You can also do this for NTFS at a Group Policy level by selecting Do not use the tracking-based method when resolving shell shortcuts
in the UserConfiguration\AdministrativeTemplates\Start Menu & Taskbar
group policy branch.
Best Answer
Source: How To: Disable The NTFS File System Tracking Of Broken Shortcut Links In Windows.