Fix The item that this shortcut refers to has been changed or moved in Windows (7/14/2023 Updated)
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“The item that this shortcut refers to has been changed or moved” error message usually occurs when a shortcut file cannot find the target program that it is supposed to launch. This can happen if the target program has been deleted, moved, renamed, or corrupted.
There are different ways to fix this error, depending on the cause and situation. Here are some of the most common ways:
- **Recreate the shortcut**: If you know where the target program is located, the simplest way to fix the problem is to create a new shortcut. Delete the broken shortcut, then right-click the target program and select Send to - Desktop (Create shortcut). You can then move the shortcut anywhere you like.
- **Check the target location**: If you are not sure where the target program is located, you can check the target location of the shortcut file. Right-click the shortcut file and select Properties. Go to the Shortcut tab and look at the Target field. It should show you the file path of the target program. Make sure that the file path is correct and that the target program exists in that location.
- **Repair or reinstall the target program**: If the target program is corrupted or missing, you may need to repair or reinstall it. For example, if the target program is a Microsoft Office app, you can use the Repair option in Programs and Features or use a command-line tool to repair it³⁵. If repairing does not work, you may need to uninstall and reinstall the target program from its original source.
- **Perform a system restore**: If the error occurred after a recent system change, such as an update or a software installation, you may be able to restore your system to an earlier point when the shortcut was working properly. To do this, go to Settings - Update & Security - Recovery - Advanced startup - Restart now. Then go to Troubleshoot - Advanced options - System Restore and follow the instructions.
i. Here are some ways to try to find a shortcut that has been changed or moved:
- Search your computer for the original shortcut name. The shortcut file will likely still be present somewhere even if moved or renamed.
- Check the properties of the shortcut to see if the target path or location has changed. Right-click the shortcut - Properties.
- Look in the default shortcut folders like Desktop, Documents, Start Menu etc to see if it got moved to a different folder.
- Use the Search bar to search for keywords from the shortcut name or original file path. This may help locate it.
- Use a utility like Everything Search to thoroughly search all files and folders by shortcut name.
- Check if the shortcut is still pinned to the Start Menu or taskbar. It may be renamed but still pinned.
- View your command history in the Run dialog (Windows key + R) to see if the original path is still there.
- See if the file the shortcut pointed to was recently moved in File Explorer using the shortcut's original target filename.
- Check the Recycle Bin to see if the shortcut or original file was deleted.
- Use System Restore to restore your system to an earlier point when the shortcut was still present.
- As a last resort, use file recovery software to scan and recover deleted files including shortcuts.
ii. When a Microsoft Word shortcut has been changed or moved, it typically means one of a few things:
- The target file location has changed - The shortcut still exists but now points to a different location for the Word application executable file. This may happen if Word was reinstalled or moved to a new folder.
- The shortcut was accidentally deleted - The original shortcut may have been deleted from the desktop or start menu, but Word is still installed. A new shortcut will need to be created.
- The shortcut was intentionally renamed or moved - Someone may have manually renamed the shortcut or moved it to a different folder to organize things differently. The shortcut itself functions the same.
- The shortcut properties were edited - Things like the icon or start in folder may have been edited, but it still launches Word properly.
- Malware or adware modified the shortcut - Potentially unwanted programs sometimes replace or alter shortcuts as part of their operations.
- The Word installation is corrupted - A damaged Word installation may cause shortcuts to not work properly or reference invalid file paths.
The main impact is that the changed or moved shortcut will no longer be able to properly launch Word when clicked. Recreating the shortcut or reverting the changes can fix the issue. It likely does not indicate an issue with Word itself, just the shortcut.
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