Strange folder manipulation raises questions

[18experience]

If anyone would like to try this, here are the steps.

1. Create a folder on your desktop called "A", and put a file in it (just for visual identification)
2. Create a shortcut to that folder
3. Rename the folder "Ab"
4. Create a new folder named "A"

Now, when you open the shortcut it will go to the new "A", and not "Ab"

5. Rename "A" to "Ac"

Now, when you open the shortcut it goes to "Ab" (the original "A").

6. Rename "Ac" back to "A"

It still goes to "Ab" (the original "A"). Furthermore, if you move "Ab" to another folder, the shortcut can still find it.

So, it must be using something other than text to identify the folder. Or, does Windows have some history that it keeps so, if it can't find the folder by name, it attempts to find out where it went?

Basically, I am really hoping there is some unique folder identifier (other than text) that I can tap into. Anybody know?

[VBDT]

I do think it is identifying by the name. There are reasons for this, for example you can't have two folders with the same name in the same directory.

Now, why your test behaves like this? Here is my analyses that it identifes by name.

1. When you rename “A” to “AB” and create another “A” it points to the new “A” (the name is the same so it holds my assumption).
2. When you rename “A” to “AC” it can’t find the folder so it goes by alphabet. “AB” comes before “AC” so it opens the “AB” and updates the name (it holds the assumption).
3. When you rename “AC” back to “A” it points to “AB” because it updated the name in the step 2 (it holds the assumption).

Now, if you assume that there is some other identifier then in the 1 step when you rename “A” to “AB” and create another “A” it should point to “AB” but that is not the case.

[18experience]

It isn't alphabetical.

If you change "AC" to "AB" and vice versa in the original set of instructions, it will still resolve the name and point to the correct folder.

It isn't going alphabetical. So, how does it know that A got changed to "AC"? I tried it, and you can also rename the original "A" many times, and it will still find it.

[ProphetBeal]

The way it looks to me, is that when you 1st change the folder windows is using the folder name to keep that connection. When it can't find the name it switches to a memory address for the folder its looking for. If neither can be found then it tells you that the shortcut is missing. After you change the folder name check the properties of the shortcut, you will notice that its target does not change until you have opened the shortcut (which is when windows reconnects the broken link).

[18experience]

After you change the folder name check the properties of the shortcut, you will notice that its target does not change until you have opened the shortcut (which is when windows reconnects the broken link).

Yeah, I noticed that. So, basically, my question is: if that memory address for a folder exists, how can I access it?