Windows 10: Change Shortcut Name Extension Template in Windows

How to: Change Shortcut Name Extension Template in Windows

How to Change Default Shortcut Name Extension Template in Windows 7, 8, and 10


Information A shortcut is a link to an item (such as a file, folder, or app) on your PC.

When you right click or press and hold on a file, folder, or drive and click tap on either Create shortcut or Send to -> Desktop (create shortcut), a shortcut to that file, folder or drive will be created with the - Shortcut extension at the end of the filename by default.

This tutorial will show you how to change the shortcut name extension template to what you want for your account in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.



Note This will only affect shortcuts that you create afterwards, and will not affect shortcuts that already have the - Shortcut file name extension.


EXAMPLE: Shortcut name extension template







Here's How:

1. Press the Win+R keys to open Run, type regedit, and press Enter.

2. If prompted by UAC, click/tap on Yes.

3. In Registry Editor, browse to the key at the location below. (see screenshot below)
*Arrow HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\NamingTemplates



Note If you do not have a NamingTemplates key (not there by default), then right click on the Explorer key, click/tap on New, click/tap on Key, type NamingTemplates, and press Enter.





4. In the right pane of the NamingTemplates key, double click/tap on the ShortcutNameTemplate string value to modify it. (see screenshot above)


Note If you do not have a ShortcutNameTemplate value (not there by default), then right click or press and hold on an empty area in the right pane of the NamingTemplates key, click/tap on New, click/tap on String Value, type ShortcutNameTemplate, and press Enter.


To undo this custom shortcut name extension template, you would just need to delete the ShortcutNameTemplate string value.



5. Type the value data below you want to use as the default shortcut extension name template, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

(To remove "- Shortcut" extension)
*Arrow "%s.lnk"


(For custom extension name)
*Arrow "%s - Extension Name.lnk"


Note Substitute Extension Name in the value data above with the actual extension name you want instead.

For example: "%s - Link.lnk"





6. When finished, you can close Registry Editor if you like.




That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Create Shortcut to App, File, Folder, Drive, or Website in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off 'Shortcut' Name Extension for New Shortcuts in Windows 10
• How to Change, Remove, or Restore Shortcut Arrow Overlay Icon in Windows 10
• How to Change Default Copy Name Extension Template in Windows 7, 8, and 10
• How to Change Default New Folder Name Template in Windows 7, 8, and 10
• How to Customize Details of Shortcut Infotips in Windows
• How to Create a Custom Shortcut Comment Pop-up Description in Windows
• How to Hide or Show File Name Extensions in Windows 10

:)

 

How to stop Windows 10 from optimizing directory displays

If there is a certain threshold of pictures or audio files or videos exist in any directory, Windows changes how my files are sorted. I can appreciate this as useful for some people, but in my case I never-ever-ever-ever want my files to be displayed as
anything but files. It gets difficult managing media when I can't even see the file size, sort by extension, etc. So how can I deactivate this feature in Windows 10?

Note: changing the columns to what I want and applying this template to all subfolders doesn't work. Neither does changing all optimization style templates to name/date/type/size. After a few happy days, Windows will decide that I really didn't want that
and change it all back. Grr.

Thanks!

 

Help for a rookie 3120 Classic user please

You can't do that but you can compromise by creating and saving message template with your name at the end and creating all your messages from that template but I don't think you can set a shortcut to the template itself for your standby screen so getting
to the the point where you actually start typing in your messages will now be a few extra clicks

 

Hello tomdickharri, and welcome to Ten Forums. *Smile

Shortcuts do not have the ".lnk" file extension showing by default.

This tutorial will let you remove the "- Shortcut" name extension to only have the file name showing.

 

I'll try to explain with an example...
I create a shortcut to 'runthisprogram.exe' and get 'runthisprogram.exe.lnk' (I've already suppressed the 'shortcut' bit). I don't want the file extension in the name!!!!! i.e. runthisprogram.lnk (by the way, the lnk bit can be seen in programs like 'BulkRename'). It's so easy in XP (as are so many other things).

 

They don't show in File Explorer if you wanted to use it instead. Otherwise, you'll have to look to see if that program has a setting to not show them.