Shortcut Virus vs. Broken Shortcut: How to Tell the Difference
Learn how to distinguish an ordinary broken Windows shortcut from suspicious USB shortcut behavior using targets, arguments, location, and file changes.
How to Inspect Suspicious .LNK Files Safely
Inspect Windows shortcut targets and arguments without opening them, understand risk signals, and choose quarantine, deletion, or allow-listing safely.
How to Verify the Digital Signature of a Shortcut Target
Recover a shortcut’s actual executable target, inspect its Authenticode signature and hash, and understand what publisher signing does not prove.
Can .LNK Files Contain Malware? What Windows Shortcuts Can Do
Understand how a Windows Shell Link can launch a risky target or command, which fields matter, and how to inspect one without opening it.
A Shortcut Opens PowerShell or CMD: Is It Malicious?
Learn when shell-launching shortcuts are legitimate, which arguments are high risk, and how to inspect without executing the command.
.LNK vs .URL vs .PIF Files: Windows Shortcut Differences
Compare Windows Shell Links, Internet Shortcuts, and legacy PIF files, then inspect the destination instead of trusting the icon or extension.
How to Inspect a Windows Shortcut Target and Arguments
Read a Windows shortcut target, working directory, and arguments without launching the .LNK file.