Python 3.12 returning unexpected result with symlinks on Windows 11

Question

On my Windows 11 laptop with Python 3.12.9, I am getting an unexpected result using os.scandir and os.stat on a windows shortcut.
I would like to find out if the [os.scandir, os.listdir, os.stat, et al] entry is a symlink (aka shortcut) without resorting to comparing the file extension (e.g. os.path.splitext(entry)[1] == ".lnk")

I have the following test folder structure on my local C:\:

\test\
   pic.jpg
   pic.jpg - Shortcut.lnk
   dir\

That is one picture file, a shortcut (sym link) to the picture file, and sub folder.

using this test code:

import os
import stat

p = r"C:\test"
fs = False
print("follow_symlinks=",fs)
for e in os.scandir(p):
    s = os.stat(e.path,follow_symlinks=fs)
    m = s.st_mode
    print(e.name, "win",s.st_file_attributes, "mode",m)
    print("   file",e.is_file(follow_symlinks=fs),", dir",e.is_dir(follow_symlinks=fs))
    print("   sym",e.is_symlink(),",junct",e.is_junction())
    print("   ssym",stat.S_ISLNK(m),",sfile",stat.S_ISREG(m),",sdir",stat.S_ISDIR(m))

gives the following output:

follow_symlinks= False
dir win 16 mode 16895
   file False , dir True
   sym False ,junct False
   ssym False ,sfile False ,sdir True
pic.jpg win 32 mode 33206
   file True , dir False
   sym False ,junct False
   ssym False ,sfile True ,sdir False
pic.jpg - Shortcut.lnk win 32 mode 33206
   file True , dir False
   sym False ,junct False
   ssym False ,sfile True ,sdir False

Setting fs (follow_symlinks) to True shows the exact same output.

Since I am not following symlinks I expected the results for "pic.jpg - Shortcut.lnk" to be
file False, sym True, junct True, ssym True sfile False
Is the test code correct to determine if the entry is a symlink?

I use the reference file modes from https://docs.python.org/3/library/stat.html#module-stat and windows file attributes from https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/fileio/file-attribute-constants?redirectedfrom=MSDN

mode 16895 is mode 16384 (directory) plus permissions
mode 33206 is mode 32768 (regular file) plus permissions
windows attribute 16 is FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY
windows attribute 32 is FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ARCHIVE, bitwise & 2,4 or 128 are also acceptable

Any clarification or help would be appreciated.

Welcome to Stack Overflow! I believe the reason you see this behavior is simply because windows shortcuts are not symlinks. They're just a different kind of thing. True symlinks are also possible on Windows, and your method would presumably detect those. — Brendan Mitchell
– Brendan Mitchell, Commented Apr 9 at 21:10
A .lnk file is not a symlink on Windows. It just a "shortcut" recognized by Explorer. Use os.symlink (in administrator mode, typically) to create a symlink on Windows. — Mark Tolonen
– Mark Tolonen, Commented Apr 9 at 21:10
As for how to detect shortcuts, it looks like the pywin32 library may be able to do that. — Brendan Mitchell
– Brendan Mitchell, Commented Apr 9 at 21:10

at2010 · Accepted Answer · 2025-04-12 19:53:40Z

0

I have reviewed the information suggested by @Brendan Mitchell, @Mark Tolonen and @JonSG, thank you.

I would like to accept their comments as an answer because a Windows shortcut created by windows explorer is a special file, not a symlink or a junction.

That means that os.scandir [os.listdir, et al] will not follow the *.lnk file, even if the parameter "follow_symlinks=True". I also cannot find any windows stat().st_file_attribute that would indicate that the file is a shortcut.

So the only way to determine a shortcut is by comparing the file extension:

if os.path.splitext(filename)[1] == ".lnk"

or

if filename[-4:] == ".lnk"

Determining the target of a shortcut has been discussed elsewhere.

answered Apr 12 at 19:53

at2010

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