The image shows a retro-style illustration of a woman in a dress, walking toward a moon-like light source in the background. In the foreground, there are pieces of a large, disassembled jigsaw puzzle, some connected, while others are scattered around. The title text below reads, "How to Fix a Broken Shortcut?" with a label above indicating "SOFTWARE/NET," and a red banner at the bottom displaying "sdmfoundation.org."

How To Fix A Broken Shortcut

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Is your shortcut not working anymore? In this blog post you will earn effective steps to troubleshoot and fix shortcut issues on Chrome, Edge, Safari, and other browsers. This guide provides simple solutions to get your shortcuts back in action.

Shortcuts make accessing websites and applications quick and easy. However, when they stop working, it can disrupt your workflow and lead to frustration. So, this guide explains how to fix broken shortcuts and restore their functionality.

Check the File Path of the Shortcut

What is a file path? A file path is the address where a file is located on your computer. Think of it like a home address, guiding your computer to where the file lives. Each shortcut needs a correct file path to work properly.

Example of a File Path:

For a shortcut on the Windows Taskbar to Wikipedia, the file path might look something like this:

C:Program FilesGoogleChromeApplicationchrome.exe --app=https://www.wikipedia.org

Each part of the path nests into the other. Here’s a breakdown:

  • C: starts in the hard drive.
  • Program Files is the directory for installed programs.
  • Google is the directory for Google software.
  • Chrome is the browser directory.
  • Application is the folder containing the executable.
  • chrome.exe is the actual program file.
  • --app=https://www.wikipedia.org specifies the website for the shortcut.

Make sure each part of this path is correct. If any part of the path is incorrect or the ‘target file’ i.e. your chosen shortcut; has been moved or deleted, the shortcut will not work.

How Do I Find and Verify the Shortcut File Path?

"Properties window showing the settings for a broken shortcut to Wikipedia, with fields such as Target, Start in, and options to change the icon or open file location. Useful for understanding how to fix broken shortcuts by editing properties.
  • Right-click on the shortcut and select Properties.
  • Check the Target field to ensure the path is correct.
  • If incorrect, update the path or recreate the shortcut.

Checking the Shortcut for Broken Links

Check for Broken Links:
A broken link occurs when a shortcut leads to a non-functional URL. This can happen due to website changes or link decay.

Steps to Diagnose:
– Open the browser and manually navigate to the website.
– If the site loads, the issue is with the shortcut.
– If the site doesn’t load, the website might be down.

Clear the History, Cache and Cookies

  1. Go to Settings >History.
  2. Click Clear browsing data.
  3. Select the Range, preferably “All Time“
  4. Click Clear data.
"Chrome browser history page with a red arrow pointing to the 'Delete browsing data' option, highlighting where to clear browsing history to fix broken shortcuts or address issues related to outdated web data."
"Google Chrome settings window showing the 'Delete browsing data' options under 'Privacy and security,' with arrows highlighting the time range dropdown set to 'All time' and the 'Delete data' button, demonstrating how to clear all browsing data to help fix broken shortcuts."

Browser-Specific Fixes

How to Fix a Shortcut in Chrome

Firstly, double Click the shortcut and verify it is no longer working, i.e. the page will not load.

Then, verify the file path, as above, by right-clicking the icon and checking the properties.

Finally, delete the original shortcut, and follow below to make a new one.

How to Recreate the Shortcut in Chrome

  • Open Chrome and navigate to the desired webpage.
  • Click on the three dots in the top-right corner and go to “More tools” > “Create shortcut.”
  • Follow the prompts to recreate the shortcut to your desired location.
"Google Chrome browser on the Wikipedia main page, with the browser's menu open and 'Cast, save, and share' section highlighted. An option to 'Install page as app' is visible, illustrating a step in fixing or reinstalling a shortcut to a frequently accessed website."

How to Fix a Shortcut in Edge

Clearing Your History on Edge

  • Firstly, click the three dots “…” for more options
  • Review the history to verify you are not logging yourself out of anything essential.
  • Then press the trash can to trash the history.
"Microsoft Edge browser with Wikipedia's main page open. The browser's history panel is displayed with a red arrow pointing to the trash can icon, showing how to clear recent browsing history as a step to help fix broken shortcuts."

Note that we want to set the time range, and select “All-Time” to fully clear the browsing history, the download history, cookies from websites, and cached images and files.

"Microsoft Edge settings window displaying the 'Delete browsing data' options, with red highlights around the 'Time range' set to 'All time' and an arrow pointing towards the 'Clear now' button. The image shows the steps to clear browsing data as part of fixing broken shortcuts."

Recreating a Shortcut in Edge

Open Edge and navigate to the desired webpage. We’ll keep the theme with Wikipedia as our example:

  • Firstly, click on the three dots in the top-right corner
  • This will pop out the context menu “Apps” > “Install this site as an app.”
  • Then, follow the prompts to recreate the shortcut.

Reset Edge Settings:

  • Go to “Settings” > “Reset settings.”
  • Click on “Restore settings to their default values,” then confirm by clicking “Reset.”

Recreating a Shortcut on iPhone: Safari

  • Open Safari and navigate to the desired webpage.
  • Next, click on the “Share” button and select “Add to Home Screen.”
  • Then, follow the prompts to recreate the shortcut.

Recreating a Shortcut on MacOS

  • On MacOS, open up Safari
  • Then, navigate to your chosen page, to keep the theme we’ll stay with Wikipedia.
  • Scroll to the top of the page and click “File”
  • Lastly, choose “Save As” to install the page on your desktop as an app.

The context menu will pop out, name your shortcut something illustrative. I’ve chosen “SDM’s Illustrative Shortcut”, and saved the shortcut to the desktop.

Clear History and Website Data: Safari

Go to “Settings” scroll down the list till you see “Safari”, tap the icon, and then down in the Safari settings will be “Clear History and Website Data.”.

Confirm by clicking “Clear History and Data.”

General Fixes

Check for Updates

Ensure your browser and operating system are up-to-date.

Updates often include bug fixes and improvements that can resolve shortcut issues.

Restart Your Device

Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve many issues, including malfunctioning shortcuts.

Reinstall the Browser

If the shortcut issue persists, consider reinstalling the browser.

Uninstall the browser, restart your device, and reinstall the latest version.

Conclusion

Shortcuts are a convenient way to streamline your browsing experience, but when they stop working, it can be frustrating and disruptive. By following the troubleshooting steps outlined in this guide, you can quickly identify and learn to fix shortcuts in Chrome, Edge, Safari, or any other browser. Whether it’s verifying file paths, clearing cache and cookies, or recreating the shortcut, these solutions will help you restore functionality and improve your workflow.

“How to Remove Broken Shortcuts”, Windows Club

“Broken Desktop Shortcuts: Chrome”, Google Support Page Forum

Remember, keeping your browser updated, resetting settings when necessary, and restarting your device can often resolve issues before they escalate.

If you have questions about this post, or our services in general, just call or email. We’re happy to assist you! Feel free to use our contact form to send us a message. Thank you!

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