Extract text from shortcut files (LINK)
To convert LINK shortcuts to another format, you need MicroDicom or other System software.
To convert other file formats to the "File Shortcut" file type, you need software like MicroDicom or a similar tool.
A .LINK file primarily serves as a reference or shortcut to other files, rather than containing actual media or document data. Its most prominent use is as a DICOM medical image link regulated by NEMA. In healthcare, these files point to patient scans (such as MRIs or CTs) within a DICOM directory structure. Less frequently, it is used interchangeably with the LNK extension for Microsoft Windows file shortcuts, or as a legacy iPod link file.
The biggest real-world disadvantage of the .LINK format is user confusion. Users frequently email a .LINK file to a doctor or colleague, expecting to share a massive medical scan, but instead only send a few kilobytes of useless folder path data. Because the file lacks actual image data, standard online converters completely fail to process them. They cannot convert a shortcut into a PDF or JPG without access to the target files stored locally on the sender's hard drive or hospital network.
Because this file is simply a system-specific reference, standard conversion is practically impossible. However, you can drag and drop your .LINK file into convert.guru. We will identify its exact format, inspect the raw file, and extract the plain text paths it contains. By analyzing this internal routing data, you can figure out where your actual DCM images or source documents are located on your system, allowing you to find and convert the real files.
Convert.Guru analyzes your LINK file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted ZIP, HTML, EXE, DOCX, MP4, JPG, PDF, SDOCX, SERVICE, TARGET, MP3 and VIDEO files.
If you want to convert LINK file to PDF, MP3, VIDEO, MP4, TMP, TEMP, CACHE, LOG, BAK, OLD, NEW or PART, you can use MicroDicom or similar software from the "Medical Reference or Shortcut" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DEVICE, CACHE, SOCK, SYMLINK, PID, MOUNT, FIFO, LOG, PIPE, TMP, JUNCTION or TEMP files to LINK, try MicroDicom or another comparable tool in the "Medical Reference or Shortcut" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our LINK converter.