.lnk is an abbreviation of link which is a shortcut file type in Microsoft Windows operating system.

.lnk shortcut files are commonly used to redirect user to a particular file (for instance, a text file, a spreadsheet or even an executable file). This saves time and efforts in navigating to the target file which may be located in a complex folder, sub-folder structure, or perhaps a network location on the Internet.

These files can be typically distinguished between two categories:

The first category of .lnk redirects user to the local content. This means that, accessing the target file does not require any Internet connectivity as the same are stored on the internal hard disk, or an external drive such as a USB stick or an external hard disk.
The second category of .lnk shortcuts require Internet connectivity. This is because they either redirect user to a website or an FTP file stored on a web server. It is a common practice to create shortcuts to important network places on the Web Drive.

Why Do I Have Too Many Duplicate .lnk Files Scattered All Over My Hard Disk?

As you install new applications, they add-up new shortcuts in your Start Menu and Desktop, which leads to duplication.

Although .lnk shortcuts occupy a negligible amount of storage space comparing to any other file type, they may actually impact your computer’s performance. Too many Desktop and Start Menu shortcuts may result into a considerable amount of delay opening it. And needless to mention, it becomes fairly difficult to find the right file on time. Imagine having to browse through a long list of programs in your Start Menu.

It is a bit difficult to manually locate duplicate .lnk shortcuts. This is because two or more .lnk shortcuts may have the same file name, yet they may be actually redirecting to an altogether different targets.

For instance, a shortcut file “Google1.lnk” may be referring to https://google.com while another shortcut file “Google2.lnk” may actually be referring to it’s subdomain https://drive.google.com.

Manually Identifying Duplicate .lnk Shortcuts

It is a good practice to regularly delete duplicate shortcuts scattered across your Desktop, Start Menu for better performance and organization of your files. To manually find duplicate .lnk shortcuts located in your Start Menu, follow the steps given below:

Press the Windows Key + R keys simultaneously.
Type the following location:
- %appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
Press ENTER or click OK.
In the Search box on the top right corner of your screen, type .lnk
Wait for some time to accumulate the results.
Once the results are displayed, click on View tab and select Sort By.
Choose the Name option in the drop-down menu.

Automatically Find Duplicate Shortcuts (Recommended)

Although modern operating systems have evolved over time, unfortunately they do not contain an in-house functionality to scan duplicate files.

To give a killer blow and eliminate the mess of duplicate shortcuts, Clone Files Checker should be your choice. The software offers plenty of advantages and an ability to customize the scan based on your needs.

For example, you don’t have to search the entire hard drive for duplicate shortcuts. There may be select locations with high probability of duplicate content, for example, your Start Menu, Documents, Downloads, Pictures, and other directories. You will want to select the topmost locations among these, and fire up the scan engine to bring out relevant results.

The one-click solution from Sorcim Technologies offers incredible benefits. Your results are grouped based on a common MD5 hash code. This assures the accuracy and increases the readability.

Clone Files Checker allows you to export the list of all duplicates to a comma-separated file, commonly abbreviated as a CSV.

If you don’t have the time to evaluate results yourself, use the wizard-based interface which will guide you through automatic selection of the files and an action of your choice.

With Review and Fix option, you get full control over the procedure and can browse through each file to individually mark or unmark it.

The software comes with several predefined criterias to simplify automatic selection of your files. Some of them include Retain all newer versions of files, Retain all older versions of files, Select files by location, alike. The “Select files by location” option allows you to retain or delete files by their parent directory.

CFC includes an inhouse functionary to automatically backup your files to prevent loss of information. You can browse through each backup, and choose to restore or delete it to save space. The scan log provides additional details such as the total files scanned, total storage occupied, list of files, action taken etc.

Download Clone Files Checker from the authorized website.
Install the program and then open it.
In the main interface, click on Add button.
Select your Desktop, click OK.
Again, click on the Add button, and one by one add your Start Menu, Downloads, Documents, Pictures and other directories that may contain your duplicate shortcut files.
If you wish to exclude certain folders/ sub-folders, simply use the Exclude Folders tab and add your desired folders to the list.
Next, click on the All Files option to run a comprehensive scan irrespective file types.
This may take some time depending on various factors such as number and size of the files selected for scan.
If you wish to apply file type filters, go with the Custom option and then individually check-up the boxes of each file type you may wish to include in the scan. Leave the box unchecked if you do not wish a file type to be scanned.
Click on Start Search.
Once the results are accumulated, click on the Quick-Fix button and then choose the version of files you want to retain. For example: Newer/ Older files.
In the subsequent page, specify an action of your choice (Move to Recycle Bin/ Move to Folder).