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How to Create a Shortcut (.LNK) File in Batch Script

Creating desktop or Start Menu shortcuts is a standard part of software installation and user environment setup. Unlike simple file operations, batch scripting has no native, built-in command to create a Windows shortcut (.lnk file). These are complex binary files, not simple text pointers, and require a more advanced tool to generate.

This guide will teach you the standard and most reliable methods for creating shortcuts from a batch script by using helper scripting languages. You will learn the classic, highly-compatible method of generating a temporary VBScript file, and the modern, cleaner approach using a PowerShell one-liner.

It is critical to understand that the MKLINK command does not create .lnk shortcuts. MKLINK is used for creating symbolic links and hard links, which are file-system-level pointers invisible to most users. A shortcut, on the other hand, is a user-facing file that can have its own icon, arguments, and other properties.

To create a shortcut, we must use the Windows Script Host (WSH) object model, which is accessible through languages like VBScript or PowerShell.

The Classic Method: Generating a Temporary VBScript​

This method is the most compatible, working on virtually all Windows versions (from XP onwards). The batch script itself writes a small VBScript file (.vbs) to disk, executes it, and then deletes it. This makes the entire process self-contained within a single batch file.

This script creates a simple shortcut on the desktop.

@ECHO OFF
SET "TARGET_EXE=C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe"
SET "SHORTCUT_NAME=%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\My Notepad.lnk"
SET "VBS_FILE=%TEMP%\CreateShortcut.vbs"

ECHO Set oWS = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell") > "%VBS_FILE%"
ECHO sLinkFile = "%SHORTCUT_NAME%" >> "%VBS_FILE%"
ECHO Set oLink = oWS.CreateShortcut(sLinkFile) >> "%VBS_FILE%"
ECHO oLink.TargetPath = "%TARGET_EXE%" >> "%VBS_FILE%"
ECHO oLink.Save >> "%VBS_FILE%"

ECHO Creating shortcut...
cscript //nologo "%VBS_FILE%"
DEL "%VBS_FILE%"

ECHO Done.

For any modern Windows system (Windows 7 and newer), calling PowerShell is a cleaner and more direct approach. It accesses the same underlying Windows components but avoids creating a temporary file, making your script more efficient.

This PowerShell one-liner, called from a batch file, achieves the same result.

@ECHO OFF
SET "TARGET_EXE=C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe"
SET "SHORTCUT_NAME=%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\My Notepad.lnk"

ECHO Creating shortcut with PowerShell...
powershell -Command "$ws = New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell; $s = $ws.CreateShortcut('%SHORTCUT_NAME%'); $s.TargetPath = '%TARGET_EXE%'; $s.Save()"

ECHO Done.

This is the recommended method for its conciseness and for avoiding temporary files.

Customizing the Shortcut (Icon, Arguments, Working Directory)​

A basic shortcut is useful, but you often need to set additional properties. Both VBScript and PowerShell can easily modify these.

Key Shortcut Properties:

  • TargetPath: The executable or file the shortcut points to.
  • Arguments: Command-line arguments to pass to the target.
  • WorkingDirectory: The directory where the executable will start.
  • IconLocation: The path to a file containing the icon (e.g., an .exe or .ico file).
  • WindowStyle: How the window should open (e.g., 1=Normal, 3=Maximized, 7=Minimized).

The following is a PowerShell example with more options:

@ECHO OFF
SET "TARGET_EXE=C:\Program Files\MyApp\app.exe"
SET "SHORTCUT_NAME=%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\My App.lnk"
SET "ARGUMENTS=--user-mode --config=prod"
SET "WORKING_DIR=C:\Program Files\MyApp"
SET "ICON_PATH=C:\Program Files\MyApp\app.ico"

powershell -Command ^
    "$ws = New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell; " ^
    "$s = $ws.CreateShortcut('%SHORTCUT_NAME%'); " ^
    "$s.TargetPath = '%TARGET_EXE%'; " ^
    "$s.Arguments = '%ARGUMENTS%'; " ^
    "$s.WorkingDirectory = '%WORKING_DIR%'; " ^
    "$s.IconLocation = '%ICON_PATH%'; " ^
    "$s.Save()"

ECHO Customized shortcut created.
note

The caret (^) is used to break the long PowerShell command across multiple lines for readability.

Common Pitfalls and How to Solve Them​

Problem: The Script is Not Run as Administrator​

If you try to create a shortcut in a protected location, such as the Public Desktop (C:\Users\Public\Desktop) or the All Users Start Menu, the script will fail with an "Access is denied" error.

Solution: Run as Administrator​

Any script that needs to create shortcuts for all users must be run with administrative privileges. Right-click your .bat file and select "Run as administrator."

Problem: Handling Paths with Spaces​

Forgetting to quote paths that contain spaces is a common source of errors.

Solution: Always Quote Your Paths​

As shown in all the examples, every path variable (TARGET_EXE, SHORTCUT_NAME, etc.) should be enclosed in quotes both in the batch SET commands and inside the helper script strings to ensure they are handled correctly.

Practical Example: A Post-Installation Script​

This script creates a shortcut for all users on the Public Desktop after a theoretical application installation. It uses the robust PowerShell method and includes custom properties.

@ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL
REM This script must be run as an Administrator.

SET "TARGET_EXE=C:\Program Files\MyCoolApp\MyCoolApp.exe"
SET "SHORTCUT_NAME=C:\Users\Public\Desktop\My Cool App.lnk"
SET "WORKING_DIR=C:\Program Files\MyCoolApp"

ECHO --- Post-Install: Creating Public Shortcut ---
ECHO.

IF NOT EXIST "%TARGET_EXE%" (
    ECHO [ERROR] Target application not found. Aborting.
    GOTO :End
)

ECHO Creating shortcut on the public desktop...
powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command ^
    "$ws = New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell; " ^
    "$s = $ws.CreateShortcut('%SHORTCUT_NAME%'); " ^
    "$s.TargetPath = '%TARGET_EXE%'; " ^
    "$s.WorkingDirectory = '%WORKING_DIR%'; " ^
    "$s.IconLocation = '%TARGET_EXE%,0'; " ^
    "$s.Save()"

ECHO.
ECHO [SUCCESS] Shortcut created for all users.

:End
ENDLOCAL
note

-NoProfile and -ExecutionPolicy Bypass are good practices for PowerShell calls to ensure they run predictably.

Conclusion​

Creating .lnk shortcuts from a batch script is a task that requires stepping outside of cmd.exe's native capabilities.

  • The VBScript method is the classic solution, offering the best compatibility with older Windows systems at the cost of creating a temporary file.
  • The PowerShell method is the modern and recommended best practice. It is cleaner, avoids temporary files, and is just as powerful.

For any deployment or setup script, using a PowerShell one-liner is the most professional and efficient way to manage shortcuts. Just remember to run your script as an administrator if you are creating them in shared or system locations.

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