09 December 2011

Windows Shortcut "name specified not valid" Fix


Occasionally when making a shortcut in Windows I want to set an additional value, like a URL that I want to open in a particular browser for example. Sometimes you get this error:
Which reads:
Problem with Shortcut
The name '"C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe http://www.google.com/' specified in the Target box is not valid. Make sure the path and file name are correct.

The key is NOT to have the whole program path in the Shortcut Properties/Shortcut Tab/Target like this:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" http://www.google.com/

Instead you just need the program file name and the argument like this:
firefox.exe http://www.google.com/

You then put the program's path in the "Start in" field:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox"

This has caught me out more than once so I thought I'd post it here.

6 comments:

  1. You need a closing quote after firefox.exe.

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  2. You're awesome. I've been trying to add an ftp shortcut to my desktop and kept getting tripped up on that. Thanks!

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  3. Big thanks to you, I've been at this for hours.

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  4. thanks for the info... it worked. :D

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  5. Nice my friend. Just what the doctor ordered.

    ReplyDelete