Get the directory of shortcut to a batch file

Question

I have a batch script file C:\scripts\MyScript.bat, I create shortcuts for this file in many other directories:

• folderA\shortcut1.lnk

• folderB\shortcut2.lnk

• ....

I want to be able to get the folder of the shortcut inside the script, meaning if the script called using shortcut1 I get folderA, if using shortcut2 I get folderB, ...

Please note that I can do this without shortcuts, by creating another script shortcut.bat and inside this I pass %~dp0 as a parameter to MyScript.bat, but I want to do it with shortcuts because it's easier to manage.

Any ideas will be appreciated.

PS: this is different from the Extract Path from shortcut link - windows batch question.

as a user commented below, I want a batch file which can programmatically determine the location of the shortcut which invoked it.

Answer 1

I have just tested the method I commented on and it appears to work as I had assumed.

Create the following batch file:

@Echo Off
Set "InvokedFrom=%__CD__:~,-1%"
CD /D "%~dp0"
Echo Your current directory is %__CD__:~,-1%
Echo=
Echo This file was invoked from %InvokedFrom%
Echo=
Pause

Now create a shortcut to that batch file.

Right Click on the new shortcut and change the Start in: field to %V.

Now copy the shortcut to a new location and double click it!

The batch file should open and report the path from where the shortcut was located.