Get the stored path from a shortcut!

[MKSa]

It seems when there is a question about How to get the stored path in a shortcut the answer on this forum was to use a code that loops through all items in a folder and display the info about all shortcuts in that folder. In the code below you can specify the folder and the shortcut and you'll get the info for that shortcut only. I thought it's a good idea to answer this frequently asked question directly.private Sub Command1_Click()

‘Add reference to Microsoft Shell Controls and Automation and add a button to a form.
   Dim shl as Shell, file as FolderItem, fld as Folder
   Dim lnk as ShellLinkObject, i as Long, folderPath as string
    
   set shl = new Shell
   'you can use an input box to get the folder path
   folderPath = "c:\windows\Desktop\"
   set fld = shl.NameSpace(folderPath)
   'to use browser remove the comment from the next line
' set fld = shl.BrowseForFolder(me.hWnd, "Select Folder that has shortcut file", 0, ssfDESKTOP)
   ShortcutName = InputBox("Enter shortcut name with extention .lnk", "Shortcut name")
   If Not Right(ShortcutName, 4) = ".lnk" then
     ShortcutName = ShortcutName & ".lnk"
   End If
   on error resume next
   set file = fld.Items.Item(ShortcutName)
   If Err <> 0 then
      MsgBox ShortcutName & " is inaccessable!", vbCritical
      Err.Clear
      GoTo exit_sub
   else
      If file.IsLink then
          set lnk = file.GetLink
          MsgBox "Name: " & file.Name & vbCrLf & _
          "Description: " & lnk.Description & vbCrLf & _
          "Path: " & lnk.Path & vbCrLf & _
          "WorkingDirectory: " & lnk.WorkingDirectory & vbCrLf, vbInformation
      else
         MsgBox ShortcutName & " is not a shortcut!", vbInformation
      End If
   End If
exit_sub:
   set lnk = nothing
   set file = nothing
   set fld = nothing
   set shl = nothing
End Sub

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