The GetShortcutInfo function returns information about a shortcut. It creates a Shell32.Shell object and uses its NameSpace method to get a Folder object representing the folder that contains the shortcut. It then gets a FolderItem object representing the shortcut.

If the file is really a shortcut, then the FolderItem object's properties give information about the shortcut.

' Get information about this link.
' Return an error message if there's a problem.
Private Function GetShortcutInfo(ByVal full_name As String, _
    ByRef name As String, ByRef path As String, ByVal descr _
    As String, ByRef working_dir As String, ByRef args As _
    String) As String
Dim shl As Shell32.Shell
Dim shortcut_path, shortcut_name As String
Dim shortcut_folder As Shell32.Folder
Dim folder_item As Shell32.FolderItem
Dim lnk As Shell32.ShellLinkObject

    On Error GoTo GetShortcutInfoError

    ' Make a Shell object.
    Set shl = New Shell32.Shell

    ' Get the shortcut's folder and name.
    shortcut_path = Left$(full_name, InStrRev(full_name, _
        "\"))
    shortcut_name = Mid$(full_name, InStrRev(full_name, _
        "\") + 1)
    If Not Right$(shortcut_name, 4) = ".lnk" Then _
        shortcut_name = shortcut_name & ".lnk"

    ' Get the shortcut's folder.
    Set shortcut_folder = shl.NameSpace(shortcut_path)

    ' Get the shortcut's file.
    Set folder_item = _
        shortcut_folder.Items.Item(shortcut_name)
    If folder_item Is Nothing Then
        GetShortcutInfo = "Cannot find shortcut file '" & _
            full_name & "'"
    ElseIf Not folder_item.IsLink Then
        ' It's not a link.
        GetShortcutInfo = "File '" & full_name & "' isn't a " & _
            "shortcut."
    Else
        ' Display the shortcut's information.
        Set lnk = folder_item.GetLink
        name = folder_item.name
        descr = lnk.Description
        path = lnk.path
        working_dir = lnk.WorkingDirectory
        args = lnk.Arguments
        GetShortcutInfo = ""
    End If
    Exit Function

GetShortcutInfoError:
    GetShortcutInfo = Err.Description
End Function