Extract text from XML shortcut files (XLNK)
To convert XLNK shortcuts to another format, you need XLNK_launcher or other System software.
To convert other file formats to the "XML Shortcut File" file type, you need software like XLNK_launcher or a similar tool.
An .XLNK file is an XML Link File, designed as a platform-independent alternative to the standard Windows LNK shortcut. Developed around 2008 by Tom Arn for Java-based "Eve" applications, the format stores shortcut parameters - like <TargetFile>, <WorkingDirectory>, and <IconFile> - in standard XML structure.
The main disadvantage of the .XLNK format is its lack of native operating system support. Unlike standard shortcuts, double-clicking an .XLNK file on Windows, macOS, or Linux will not launch the target application unless you install specific software like XLNK_launcher. Because it is a niche legacy format, modern operating systems will simply show an "unrecognized file" error when you interact with it.
If you encounter one of these files, standard online converters will fail to process it because it is not a media or document file. While you cannot convert an .XLNK directly into an executable binary, our tool allows you to view the XML data, extract the target file paths, and manually recreate the shortcut as a standard Windows LNK or a Linux DESKTOP file.
Convert.Guru analyzes your XLNK file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert XLNK file to TMP, TEMP, CACHE, LOG, BAK, OLD, NEW, PART, DOWNLOAD, CRDOWNLOAD, LOCK or PID, you can use XLNK_launcher or similar software from the "Cross-platform shortcut linking" 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 XLNK, try XLNK_launcher or another comparable tool in the "Cross-platform shortcut linking" 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 XLNK converter.