Making a Windows shortcut start relative to where the folder is?

William_62122 0
Viewed 154811

I have a game that uses this file structure:

GAME FOLDER
->data
->data->run.bat

I want to put a shortcut to run.bat in GAME FOLDER, but if I move it, or someone else installs it it won't work, because the target is wrong. Is there a way to make the target and "start in" relative to GAME FOLDER?

shortcut windows
16 Answers

If you can set a system variable (something like %MyGameFolder%), then you can use that in your paths and shortcuts, and Windows will fill in rest of the path for you (that is, %MyGameFolder%\data\MyGame.exe).

Here is a small primer. You can either set this value via a batch file, or you can probably set it programmatically if you share how you're planning to create your shortcut.

user_81140

I tried %~dp0 in the Start in field and it is working fine in Windows 10 x64

user_34076040

You could have the batch file change the current working directory (CD).

user_1384690

The link with a relative path can be created using the mklink command on windows command line.

mklink /d \MyDocs \Users\User1\Documents

This might be the best way to create link because apparently, the behaviour of shortcut can be different perhaps based on the way they are created (UI vs mklink command). I observed some strange behavior with how the shortcuts behave when I change the root folder.

  • There is a weird behaviour on Windows 7 that I tested. Sometimes the the link still just works when the root folder of target is changed (the shortcut properties automatically update to reflect the changed path!). The "start in" field updates automatically as well if it was there.
  • I also noticed that one link doesn't work the first time I change the root path (properties shows old) but it works after the 2nd and everytime after that. The link properties get updated as result of the first run!
  • I also noticed at least for two link, it doesn't update the path and no longer works.
  • From link properties, there is no difference in format of any fields yet the behaviour is different.
user_8413300

The method that proposed by 'leoj' does not allow passing parameters with spaces. Us it:

    cmd.exe /v /c %CD:~0,2%"%CD:~2%\bat\bat\run.bat" "Par1-1 Par1-2" Par2

Which will be similar double quote written as in path 

    C:"\Program Files\anyProgram.exe" "Par1-1 Par1-2" Par2
user_18085150

Make a symbolic link of a relative path. On the command prompt cmd (with Administrator privileges):

mklink /D SYMLINK_NAME RELATIVE_TARGET_PATH
user_45100330
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