shortcuts

  • Thread starter Thread starter mre
  • Start date Start date
M

mre

Hi,

[Is this the right place to ask this...]

Is it possible to create a reference to a file that becomes one with
the file? I.e. if I created a shortcut to a text file, and dragged it
into notepad, the shortcut's data would be loaded, not the text file. I
would like to create a reference that, as far as any program is
concerned, is the file, as if the file exists in two places at once.

This is because I would like to keep my data files organised in
certain directories, but can't because some programs I use need all
related files to be in the one directory (they don't save path info).

Is this possible?

Thank you for your time,
Kind regards,
Eliott
 
Hi,

[Is this the right place to ask this...]

Is it possible to create a reference to a file that becomes one with
the file? I.e. if I created a shortcut to a text file, and dragged it
into notepad, the shortcut's data would be loaded, not the text file. I
would like to create a reference that, as far as any program is
concerned, is the file, as if the file exists in two places at once.

This is because I would like to keep my data files organised in
certain directories, but can't because some programs I use need all
related files to be in the one directory (they don't save path info).

Is this possible?

Thank you for your time,
Kind regards,
Eliott
Click to expand...

Notepad doesn't support this. Wordpad and almost any full featured word
processor allow embedding and linking. Embedding adds the original text to
the new document as an object. Original file still exists. Linking adds
only a shortcut to the object (original remains a separate entity). Check
help and support for more details.

There is a method to hardlink files if using NTFS. Not sure if this would
fit your needs but may want to take a look at it.

From XP's Help and Support:
+++++++++++
Fsutil: hardlink

A hard link is a directory entry for a file. Every file can be considered
to have at least one hard link. On NTFS volumes, each file can have
multiple hard links, and thus a single file can appear in many directories
(or even in the same directory with different names). Because all of the
links reference the same file, programs can open any of the links and
modify the file. A file is deleted from the file system only after all
links to it have been deleted. After you create a hard link, programs can
use it like any other file name.
+++++++++++

You can find more info about this is you type "hardlink" and "hard link"
into Help and Support. The "hard link" search will also give you some
Microsoft Knowledge Base results. Suggest giving those a quick read as they
cover some of the caveats (potential data loss problems).
 
-snip-
There is a method to hardlink files if using NTFS. Not sure if this
would fit your needs but may want to take a look at it
-snip-

Hi Sharon F,

This fits my needs like you would not believe.

I secretly hadn't expect to get any useful responses, but to get one
this perfect - is so fantastic!

It's going to simplify my life (by which I mean my computer) to the
point of unchallenging - Thank you so very, very much =)

Thanks again,
Kinder regards,
Eliott

ps. Thank you again :)
 
-snip-
There is a method to hardlink files if using NTFS. Not sure if this
would fit your needs but may want to take a look at it
-snip-

Hi Sharon F,

This fits my needs like you would not believe.

I secretly hadn't expect to get any useful responses, but to get one
this perfect - is so fantastic!

It's going to simplify my life (by which I mean my computer) to the
point of unchallenging - Thank you so very, very much =)

Thanks again,
Kinder regards,
Eliott

ps. Thank you again :)
Click to expand...


You're most welcome, Eliott. Good luck with this NTFS function/feature.
 
Back
Top