How to write shortcut (.lnk) files to the "Recent" folder

Question

How to write a shortcut (.lnk) file to the C:\Users\Lenovo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent folder

I need to batch insert files into the "Recent" that pops up after right-clicking on the taskbar to fix files to quick access, but I don't want to open these files.

I have tried to modify the properties of the folder and use the Administrator account to obtain permissions in safe mode, but it has no effect.

Answer 1

or by using PowerShell script:

$targetFolderPath = "C:\Users\Lenovo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent"

# Create an array of shortcut names and target paths
$shortcuts = @{
    "Shortcut1" = "C:\Path\to\Target1.exe"
    "Shortcut2" = "C:\Path\to\Target2.exe"
    "Shortcut3" = "C:\Path\to\Target3.exe"
}

# Loop through the shortcuts and create .lnk files
$shell = New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell

foreach ($shortcut in $shortcuts.GetEnumerator()) {
    $shortcutName = $shortcut.Key
    $targetPath = $shortcut.Value

    $shortcutFilePath = Join-Path -Path $targetFolderPath -ChildPath "$shortcutName.lnk"

    $shortcutObject = $shell.CreateShortcut($shortcutFilePath)
    $shortcutObject.TargetPath = $targetPath
    $shortcutObject.Save()

    Write-Host "Shortcut '$shortcutName' created at '$shortcutFilePath'"
}

Make sure to replace the values in the $targetFolderPath variable with the actual path to the "Recent" folder, and update the $shortcuts hashtable with the desired shortcut names and their corresponding target paths.

Save the script with a .ps1 extension (e.g., create-shortcuts.ps1), and then you can run it by opening PowerShell and executing the script using the following command:

.\create-shortcuts.ps1

The script will iterate through the $shortcuts hashtable, create a .lnk file for each shortcut name and target path, and save it in the specified folder. It will also display a message for each created shortcut with its name and file path.