.LNK42 File Extension
Windows 93 Desktop Shortcut
| Developer | Jakenpopp and Zombectro |
| Popularity |
3.3 | 27 Votes |
What is an LNK42 file?
An LNK42 file is a "desktop" shortcut used by Windows 93, a joke operating system users can access on the Internet. It contains plain text that specifies what program the shortcut opens and, in some cases, where the shortcut's .JPG or .PNG icon is saved. LNK42 files can be opened in any text editor or imported into Windows 93.
More Information
In 2014, French hackers Jankenpopp and Zombectro created Windows 93. The web-based "operating system," which can be found at Windows93.net, allows users to access a number of clever, comedic programs, including:
- A "finished" version of Half-Life 3 that never progresses past the loading screen
- A Minesweeper variant called BrianSweeper that the user can never win
- An Internet Explorer variant called Cat Explorer that allows users to access 90s-themed webpages
When a user right-clicks a Windows 93 desktop shortcut and selects , the user's web browser downloads an LNK42 file. LNK42 files contain information Windows 93 uses to open an associated program. For example, the file Recorder.lnk42 contains information ("exe":"recorder") Windows 93 uses to open its Recorder program.
In some cases, LNK42 files also include the path at which a shortcut's icon can be found. Continuing the prior example, Recorder.lnk42 tells users its icon is located at /c/sys/skins/w93/apps/recorder.png in Windows 93.
How to open an LNK42 file
You can open an LNK42 file in any text editor, such as Microsoft Notepad (Windows) or Apple TextEdit (Mac), to view the plain text information it contains. You can also upload an LNK42 file to Windows 93 to use it as a desktop shortcut.