Linux – Make a shortcut to Ubuntu bash.exe on Windows 10 that doesn’t auto-close

When I start CMD, I see C:\Users\dave> but I want to change directory to C:\wamp\www without having to press cd ../../. So I created a shortcut of the 'www' folder in the 'dave' folder.

This is a typical X-Y problem. If you want CMD to always open at a specific directory instead of the default, all you need to do is simply change the shortcut's properties as follows:

In Windows 7 the Command Prompt shortcut is typically located in Start Menu > All Programs > Accessories, so just right-click the shortcut, select Properties and edit the Start in field to your liking.

You can also create a batch file named for example d.bat that contains a single line cd /d c:\wamp\www. Place the batch file somewhere in your path and now all you need to do is open CMD and type d to change to the specific directory. There are many more similar solutions as well.

If you are dead set on parsing a shortcut (.LNK) file from the command prompt, save the following as ParseLnk.bat and execute it from the Command Prompt as ParseLnk <LNK File>:

@echo off
echo set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")>Tmp.vbs
echo set Lnk = WshShell.Createshortcut(WScript.Arguments(0))>>Tmp.vbs
echo WScript.Echo Lnk.TargetPath>>Tmp.vbs
for /f "delims=" %%d in ('cscript //nologo Tmp.vbs "%~1"') do del Tmp.vbs & cd /d "%%d"

A number of Windows 10 updates have caused different issues with shortcuts, in addition to the one you mentioned:

1. Shortcuts have been restricted to work only in specific folders.

2. Keyboard shortcuts set for .lnk shortcuts may no longer work.

Third-party tools such as Classic Shell and alternatives allow links to be placed in other folders, or set within the shell environment.

Moving the .lnk files out of the folders managed by Microsoft during Windows updates should, hopefully, protect the links from mangling.

Other tools such as Clavier+ and alternatives supplement keyboard shortcuts. Clavier+, for example, keeps its settings in an .ini file and also enables exporting and importing settings, simplifying repair or setup of a new system. Links (including passed command-line parameters) can be tested as they are entered.