Total Commander

Menu option Show/Programs shows *.com, *.exe, *.bat, *.pif, and *.cmd files.

It is weird to have *.pif in this list and not *.lnk

It is not - PIF means Program Information File and contains information how specific PROGRAM should be executed.
LNK points to program, document or directory so if we change system association for particular type of document completly different program will run on execute exactly the same link.

Gral wrote: ↑2022-06-30, 23:33 UTC It is not - PIF means Program Information File and contains information how specific PROGRAM should be executed.

Which also applies to .lnk files.

Gral wrote: ↑2022-06-30, 23:33 UTC LNK points to program, document or directory so if we change system association for particular type of document completly different program will run on execute exactly the same link.

So what? And how is that different from .bat and .cmd files and .pif files for .bat files?

The reason is that lnk files don't necessarily point to programs. They can also point to documents and even folders.
The option is meant to show programs only. Total Commander would have to open each lnk file and check where it points to, which may be even impossible if the target is on a currently not accessible network drive or on a not connected USB flash drive.

ghisler(Author) wrote: ↑2022-07-01, 07:09 UTC Total Commander would have to open each lnk file and check where it points to...

Why? You are not doing that with .pif files pointing to .bat files and not doing that with .bat and .cmd files.

white,
Well, .bat and .cmd files are considered programs, .lnk files are not programs. I do not see the issue here(?)

Roman

Hacker wrote: ↑2022-07-01, 10:34 UTC Well, .bat and .cmd files are considered programs, .lnk files are not programs.

I see, so you cannot execute .lnk files?

white,
No, not really. You can "execute" some of them which point to an executable file (similar to .pif files) but only those. Those which do not point to programs you cannot execute, no.

Roman

Hacker wrote: ↑2022-07-01, 11:33 UTC No, not really. You can "execute" some of them which point to an executable file (similar to .pif files) but only those. Those which do not point to programs you cannot execute, no.

Yes, really. They are really executed no matter where they point to. But this is a discussion about semantics.

I do see a difference though when executing a file without specifying the extension. Then, Windows tries to execute all other extensions but not .lnk . So in that sense Windows does indeed doesn't see .lnk files as programs.

Follow this logic ANY file associated with any program is the program file itself - because program IS executed when you press Enter on *.txt *.bmp *. png *.jpg *.mp4 *.doc *.html *.svg , right?

white,

Yes, really. They are really executed no matter where they point to.

Perhaps there is a misunderstanding regarding what is meant by "executing a program"? A program usually means a set of instructions, such as can be found in e.g. .exe, .bat and .cmd files. On the other hand, .lnk files do not contain any instructions, they only point to other files. As mentioned before, similar could be theoretically said about .pif files, but they always point to program files, so they can be considered "executable" for our purposes.

Roman

Gral wrote: ↑2022-07-01, 13:48 UTC Follow this logic ANY file associated with any program is the program file itself - because program IS executed when you press Enter on *.txt *.bmp *. png *.jpg *.mp4 *.doc *.html *.svg , right?

*.lnk files, like *.pif *.cmd *.bat *.exe and *.com files don't have any program associated with it. They are executed themselves.

LNK can point to documents, folders, objects (computer, printers, scanners etc.) that have nothing in common with programs.

white,

*.lnk files, like *.pif *.cmd *.bat *.exe and *.com files don't have any program associated with it. They are executed themselves.

Why would you think that? There is no set of instructions in a .lnk file. You can check the format specification yourself.

Roman

A completely pointless discussion about *.lnk, not worth pursuing any further. The OP has - and that as a moderator - unnecessarily tied up resources from regulars. Just why?

JO"Maybe to show that he has little knowledge of how OSs work? it's really incomprehensible"UBE