Extract text from LNK files
To convert your LNK file to another format, you need Microsoft Windows or other System software.
To convert other file formats to the "Shell Link Shortcut" file type, you need software like Microsoft Windows or a similar tool.
A .LNK file is a Windows Shortcut used by the Microsoft Windows operating system to create a direct link to an executable file, document, or folder. These files strictly follow the Shell Link Binary File Format, containing metadata such as the target file path, working directory, icon location, and command-line arguments.
The biggest challenge with .LNK files is that they are merely pointers, not containers. Users frequently mistake them for the actual files they represent; for example, emailing a shortcut to a presentation rather than the presentation itself. Consequently, the recipient cannot open the file because the path refers to a location on the sender's local drive. Furthermore, .LNK files are proprietary binary files that are natively unreadable on non-Windows systems like macOS, Linux, or mobile devices. To inspect a shortcut's destination without access to the original Windows machine - or for digital forensics - the best solution is to convert the .LNK file to TXT or JSON. This extracts the internal metadata, allowing you to view the target path and properties in a human-readable format.
Convert.Guru analyzes your LNK file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted INK, DOWNLOAD, SHORTCUT, PDF, DOCX, EXE, ZIP, JPG, BIN, DOC, LNK 3, TXT and XLSX files.
If you want to convert LNK file to PDF, MP4, EXE, SYS, DLL, DRV, VXD, 386, COM, BAT, CMD or SCR, you can use Microsoft Windows or similar software from the "File System Shortcut" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MSI, EXE, REG, MST, CAB, CAT, DRV, INF, SYS, MSU, DLL or PIF files to LNK, try Microsoft Windows or another comparable tool in the "File System 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 LNK converter.