Solved How to Change a Shortcut's Default Path

gabotron

New Member
Hi,

I have been searching this sub-forum for a resolution to my problem but it seems that I can't find a specific one. Basically, my problem is that every time I create a shortcut, usually by right-clicking on an executable and then choosing Create Shortcut from the context menu, the default path is always set to, for example, C:\Program Files (x86)\My Application\myapplication.exe. However, I already set my default Program Files and Program Files (x86) location to be in the D:\ drive.

Nature of the Problem
After installing Vista Ultimate x64, I installed TuneUp Utilities 2009 and from there, I set the default Program Files location to my second partition which is D:\. I expected TuneUp Utilities to make the necessary changes to the registry. To make sure that no programs were left out in C:\Program Files and C:\Program Files (x86), I manually re-created the 2 folders in D:\ and then copied all the files and folders inside. I rebooted afterwards.

Upon boot, my expectations toward TuneUp Utilities 2009 seemed to be correct because the default now points to D:\ (whenever I install 64-bit or 32-bit programs). I had no problems running the applications as well.

The Problem
But a problem arises whenever a shortcut is made. It doesn't matter whether it was created by the installer itself or created manually. The target path always points to C:\ while the Start In path points to the correct one, which is D:\. Whether it be in the Start Menu, on the Desktop, or in the Quick Launch menu, the same behavior happens.

It's often a pain to edit the shortcuts manually- doing a right-click > Properties > change C to D > Change Icon > Apply > OK every time I install a new application or decide to create a shortcut for a certain portable app. I believe there's a registry entry that I can change so that the default Shortcut path now defaults to D:\ instead of C:\. Could you point me in that direction?

Please take a look at the sample image I posted below:

shortcutissueks6.png


TIA
 

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It has nearly been a couple of days and this thread has remained unanswered... thought I'd bump this thread for the others to see. Here's hoping someone could help.
 

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Hello Gabotron,

Just to help clarify:

When you install the programs, do you have them install directly to the D: location?

How does the created shortcut work if you created it directly from the D: location and not from the redirected C: location?
 

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    512 GB M.2 SSD
Hi Brink,

Thanks for noticing my post!

When I install programs, the Program Files path is automatically set to D:\.

When I create shortcuts from D:\ or from any drive for that matter, and then immediately open that program from the created shortcut, I get an error of some sort. Checking the path in the Shortcut Properties dialog would reveal that the target path still points to C:\

Another strange behavior I noticed is when fixing a wrong path from the shortcut properties and then moving or copying the fixed shortcut to the Quick Launch folder. In this instance, launching the program through its shortcut from Quick Launch would reset the path to C:\. I had to repeat the process of correcting the paths all over again (right click - Properties - change Target Path from C:\ to D:\).
 

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    1 x Palit Radeon HD4870 Sonic Dual Edition 512MB 256bit
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What method did you use to change the default paths of the C: Program Files folder?

You might see if using the mklink command may help with connecting these two locations better. I have not tried this before, so you may need to play with it a bit to see what may work better.
 

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    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
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    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
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    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
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    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
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    HP Envy Y0F94AV
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    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
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    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
I used TuneUp Utilities to change the default drive of the Program Files folder because I could not get it to work when editing the registry manually.

Thanks for the link to the mklink command. However, I think it only fixes part of my problem. It will probably work if I create shortcuts manually.

My bigger problem, though are the shortcuts that are created automatically by the application installers. These are in 3 different locations- Start Menu, Desktop, and Quick Launch. They default to C:\ as well.

It seems that in this version of Windows, there's an additional step that needs to be done aside from changing the default Program Files path, i.e. changing the Shortcut's default path. I was expecting the same behavior as in Windows XP x86. In the 32-bit version, I just needed to change the drive in the registry and everything would follow.
 

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    Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 @ 2.33 GHz stock
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    1 x Palit Radeon HD4870 Sonic Dual Edition 512MB 256bit
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Would it not be much easier when installing a program to do a custom install, and just change the drive letter you want to install it to. That way you end up with a Program Files (and/or Program Files (x86)) on the desired drive, and shouldn't have any problems with shortcuts.

Been dong it this way forever myself and never had a problem. Also been a real long time (so long I don't remember the last) that I have seen a program that didn't allow you to choose where to install it.
 

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@stormy13,

Yeah, I thought of the same thing as well after a fresh install of Vista x64 and realizing that manually changing the default path of the Program Files folder from the registry broke my whole system, which resulted to a reinstall. But then I realized halfway through that installing programs and choosing custom every time was not convenient for me. Besides, other programs install files in the Program Files\Common Files\ directory (such as Adobe and Microsoft products).

TuneUp Utilities was a great find because it allowed me to change the default program files and common files paths conveniently and without breaking the operating system. However, I never expected that the shortcuts would behave that way. As a 32-bit Windows XP user, all I had to do before was change the default program files path from the registry and everything would work fine from there, including the creation of the shortcuts.

Thanks for your suggestion. Now I'm thinking if I would just do another reinstall and not mess with the default location anymore or investigate further and try to see if there is an entry in the registry that refers to a shortcut's default path, or maybe just live with what I have already done. I launch programs primarily from Quick Launch anyway.
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 @ 2.33 GHz stock
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    MSI P45 Platinum Zilent
    Memory
    2 x 2GB Team Elite DDR2-800
    Graphics Card(s)
    1 x Palit Radeon HD4870 Sonic Dual Edition 512MB 256bit
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP w2228h
    Screen Resolution
    1680 x 1050
    Hard Drives
    1 x 640GB Seagate Barracuda SATA 32mb cache
    1 x 200GB Seagate Barracuda PATA 8mb cache
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    Corsair HX620
    Cooling
    Zalman CNPS 9700LED
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    A4Tech X7 G800
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I agree with Stormy. Having them install that way would be easier on you if the program will allow you change it's installation path.
 

My Computers

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    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
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    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
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    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
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    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
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    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
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    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
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    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
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    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
On a side note, is there a significant impact on my system's performance if I had the whole 640GB of disk space in one partition as opposed to just having 40GB as a system partition and then the rest as a program files partition?
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 @ 2.33 GHz stock
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    MSI P45 Platinum Zilent
    Memory
    2 x 2GB Team Elite DDR2-800
    Graphics Card(s)
    1 x Palit Radeon HD4870 Sonic Dual Edition 512MB 256bit
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP w2228h
    Screen Resolution
    1680 x 1050
    Hard Drives
    1 x 640GB Seagate Barracuda SATA 32mb cache
    1 x 200GB Seagate Barracuda PATA 8mb cache
    PSU
    Corsair HX620
    Cooling
    Zalman CNPS 9700LED
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    768kbps
If the partitions are on the same physical hard drive, then it will make no difference in performance.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
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    Thermaltake Core P3
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    Corsair Hydro H115i
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    Logitech wireless K800
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    Logitech MX Master 3
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    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
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    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
Ah! If that's the case, then I will just have one partition and not bother about a separate system and program files partition anymore. Thank you.

But what about defragmenting? Is there any disadvantage?
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 @ 2.33 GHz stock
    Motherboard
    MSI P45 Platinum Zilent
    Memory
    2 x 2GB Team Elite DDR2-800
    Graphics Card(s)
    1 x Palit Radeon HD4870 Sonic Dual Edition 512MB 256bit
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP w2228h
    Screen Resolution
    1680 x 1050
    Hard Drives
    1 x 640GB Seagate Barracuda SATA 32mb cache
    1 x 200GB Seagate Barracuda PATA 8mb cache
    PSU
    Corsair HX620
    Cooling
    Zalman CNPS 9700LED
    Keyboard
    A4Tech X7 G800
    Mouse
    A4Tech X-750BF
    Internet Speed
    768kbps
Only slightly using two partitions. If you defrag on a regular basis though, then you will not notice any difference.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
I see. Thanks for the enlightenment, Brink and stormy. I guess I'll just have to repartition and reinstall and not worry about these shortcuts anymore.
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 @ 2.33 GHz stock
    Motherboard
    MSI P45 Platinum Zilent
    Memory
    2 x 2GB Team Elite DDR2-800
    Graphics Card(s)
    1 x Palit Radeon HD4870 Sonic Dual Edition 512MB 256bit
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP w2228h
    Screen Resolution
    1680 x 1050
    Hard Drives
    1 x 640GB Seagate Barracuda SATA 32mb cache
    1 x 200GB Seagate Barracuda PATA 8mb cache
    PSU
    Corsair HX620
    Cooling
    Zalman CNPS 9700LED
    Keyboard
    A4Tech X7 G800
    Mouse
    A4Tech X-750BF
    Internet Speed
    768kbps
Your welcome Gabotron. It would be less problematic for you this way. I hope it goes smoothly for you. Post back if not.

Shawn
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
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