Extract text from Document shortcuts (SHB)
To convert SHB Shortcuts to another format, you need Microsoft Windows or other System software.
To convert other file formats to the "Shortcut File" file type, you need software like Microsoft Windows or a similar tool.
A .SHB file is a Windows Document Shortcut file created by the Windows operating system or Microsoft Office applications. It acts as a direct pointer or hyperlink to a specific document, or even a specific location within a document, on a local hard drive or network. These files utilize the Microsoft Compound File architecture to store Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) routing data.
The biggest disadvantage of a .SHB file is that it contains absolutely no document data itself. Users frequently make the mistake of dragging a document snippet to their desktop to create a shortcut, and then emailing that .SHB file to a colleague. Because the file only contains an absolute path (e.g., C:\Users\Name\Documents\file.docx), the recipient receives a broken link that will not open. It is entirely dependent on the host system's file structure to function properly.
Because it is merely a directional pointer, converting a .SHB file directly into a readable document format like PDF or DOCX is technically impossible using standard tools. The original source file must be located first.
This is why standard online converters fail to process it. However, just drag and drop your .SHB file into convert.guru to identify the format, view its properties, and inspect the internal metadata. If our analysis detects the embedded target path or OLE properties, you can use that raw text data to hunt down the actual document on your network or request the correct file from the sender.
Convert.Guru analyzes your SHB file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted SHP, SNAPFIREPROJECT, SNAPFIRESHOW and DIS files.
If you want to convert SHB file to CSV, JSON, XML, YAML, YML, TOML, INI, CFG, CONF, DAT, DB or SQL, you can use Microsoft Windows or similar software from the "Document Location Pointer" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DBF, XML, SQLITE, XLSX, SQL, TSV, ACCDB, YAML, MDB, CSV, ODS or JSON files to SHB, try Microsoft Windows or another comparable tool in the "Document Location Pointer" 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 SHB converter.