How to create a shortcut to a folder on Windows?

Question

I have created shortcuts for executables and it works, but when I try to create one for a folder it does not work. It does create a shortcut, it is just not the right 'Target Type'. Please take a look at the image below. Instead of 'File', the target type should be 'File folder'. The problem is that when I open the shortcut it asks me which program do I want to open the File with and it does not open the folder.

The function I'm using to create the shortcuts is the following

from win32com.client import Dispatch
import winshell
import os

def create_shortcuts(self, tool_name, exe_path, startin, icon_path):

    shell = Dispatch('WScript.Shell')
    shortcut_file = os.path.join(winshell.desktop(), tool_name + '.lnk')
    shortcut = shell.CreateShortCut(shortcut_file)
    shortcut.Targetpath = exe_path
    shortcut.WorkingDirectory = startin
    shortcut.IconLocation = icon_path
    shortcut.save()

I don't know if it's possible to set the 'Target Type'. I couldn't find a way to do it, but I do know there must be a way.

Answer 1

If you want to use .Net "clr" (especially if you already require it):

First run this... you will have to ship the output of this command this with your application

"c:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v10.0A\bin\NETFX 4.6.1 Tools\TlbImp.exe" %SystemRoot%\system32\wshom.ocx /out:Interop.IWshRuntimeLibrary.dll

tlbimp.exe might even be in the path if you installed the Windows SDK in a fairly standard way. But if not, it's OK, you'll just ship the "assembly" (fancy word for interface-providing dll in .Net land) with your application.

Then this code will work in python:

import clr
sys.path.append(DIRECTORY_WHERE_YOU_PUT_THE_DLL)
clr.AddReference('Interop.IWshRuntimeLibrary')
import Interop.IWshRuntimeLibrary
sc = Interop.IWshRuntimeLibrary.WshShell().CreateShortcut("c:\\test\\sc.lnk")
isc = Interop.IWshRuntimeLibrary.IWshShortcut(sc)
isc.set_TargetPath("C:\\")
isc.Save()

.... the above code, with far too much modification and preamble, might even work with Mono.

Answer 2

For future reference: I observed the described behavior in python 3.9.6 when creating a shortcut to a non-existing directory, which was easily fixed by incorporating os.makedirs() into the method. I've added a method parameter to the version I'm using, so it can handle shortcuts to files and directories:

def create_shortcuts(self, tool_name, exe_path, startin, icon_path, is_directory=False):
    if is_directory:
        os.makedirs(exe_path, exist_ok=True) 

    shell = Dispatch('WScript.Shell')
    shortcut_file = os.path.join(winshell.desktop(), tool_name + '.lnk')
    shortcut = shell.CreateShortCut(shortcut_file)
    shortcut.Targetpath = exe_path
    shortcut.WorkingDirectory = startin
    shortcut.IconLocation = icon_path
    shortcut.save()