Glossary
Target path
The location a Windows .lnk shortcut points to, resolved from the LinkTargetIDList and LinkInfo structures inside the Shell Link.
The target path is the file, folder or program a Windows .lnk shortcut
opens. It is reconstructed from the LinkTargetIDList (a list of shell item IDs)
and, when present, the LinkInfo structure, which can hold a local base path or a
common network relative link. A shortcut may also carry command-line arguments
and a working directory that change how the target runs. Reading the resolved
target path is usually the first step when triaging a suspicious shortcut.