Unable to create Desktop Shortcuts

[Kyu]

I recently got some new games and wanted to put shortcuts for the ones I really enjoyed. I right clicked a game and clicked "Create Desktop Shortcut" and it gave me this error: "Could not create shortcut. A shortcut is probably already on the Desktop.". I don't have any of these games on my desktop yet, so I'm not sure whats going on. Thanks.

[CJ]

Am having exact same problem as OP.

I always check the box 'create desktop shortcut' when installing steam games, but recently it stopped creating them even with the box checked. I have tried the same thing OP describes (right-click game in Steam library, 'Create Desktop Shortcut') and get the same error 'Could not create shortcut. A shortcut is probably already on the Desktop.' but these shortcuts are not on the desktop.

[Mirtilo]

open the game folder, find the launcher and create a shortcut

[The Inquisitor]

Originally posted by Heave Darko:

open the game folder, find the launcher and create a shortcut

yes this of course will work. But I have had this same problem for a long time now. Does anyone have an answer to the issue?

[Kyu]

I'm still having issues with this. Nothing I look up gives any answers.

[Trepalium]

I am having a similar problem. I've figured out what is causing it in my case, but I don't have a good way to fix it. However, perhaps the information I've discovered might help others.

It seems that the SteamService.exe is responsible for creating shortcuts, and that runs with SYSTEM credentials. If SYSTEM does not have permissions to write to your desktop folder, this could cause this error. If you've played with permissions, or did anything special with your user profile (like moving it to another drive), check the permissions to make sure SYSTEM still has full control.

My specific incompatibility is that I'm using folder redirection to keep various folders, including desktop, located on a NAS device. Since SYSTEM on the NAS isn't the same as SYSTEM on my local PC, SteamService.exe can't create the file and unhelpfully tells me that it "probably" already exists.

If anyone from Valve reads this, please consider moving this function to the frontend client instead of the system service. It's a little bizarre that a system service is responsible for creating desktop shortcuts in user profiles. It also seems like a poor security practice to me since highly elevated permissions are unnecessary for this. Lastly, that error message is a little lazy. If this condition was common enough to include that "probably" in the error message, it ought be common enough that the application should actually check and see if this is the case or not.

[Raketenkäse]

Originally posted by PinkBunny:

right click on a game from your library and click properties, and you'll have the option to create the shortcut, make sure that the game itself is installed already or that option will be disabled, have a nice day :8bitheart:

Your reply makes me suspect that you work in IT support IRL.

[PinkBunny 🐰]

Originally posted by Raketenkäse:

Originally posted by PinkBunny:

right click on a game from your library and click properties, and you'll have the option to create the shortcut, make sure that the game itself is installed already or that option will be disabled, have a nice day

Your reply makes me suspect that you work in IT support IRL.

Your Profile makes me think that you're an A R M A perv

[Kob]

Go to the files and take the launcher, copy it and paste it on the desktop

[The Inquisitor]

I have as of yet not found the problem for this issue. However, this should work. When instaling a game do not chose place shortcut on desktop, In menu is ok. After install find the menu shortcut and create desktop shortcut from that. Also if the game is installed uninstall and reinstall same as described. This is obviously not a fix but in most cases this will work.

[☣ Sablam ☣]

Hi there,

I recently had the same problem after moving my OS to a SSD drive but keeping my steam directory in my old HDD drive. However "System" have all the permission to modify the directory "Desktop".

My fix was to execute steam as Administrator, and the shortcut creation worked.

Hope that it could help someone =)

[Brenon1106]

Originally posted by Toad With Man Legs:

I recently got some new games and wanted to put shortcuts for the ones I really enjoyed. I right clicked a game and clicked "Create Desktop Shortcut" and it gave me this error: "Could not create shortcut. A shortcut is probably already on the Desktop.". I don't have any of these games on my desktop yet, so I'm not sure whats going on. Thanks.

OR you could just open your steam library, it doesnt take up as much ram and its easier to me!

[xarvh]

Originally posted by ☣ Sablam ☣:

Hi there,

My fix was to execute steam as Administrator, and the shortcut creation worked.

Hope that it could help someone =)

Hey thanks a lot, that worked for me! =)

[Malkav]

This is definitely a permissions issue. I was having this same problem, and I tried closing Steam and relaunching it as Administrator. The problem disappeared.

[CJ]

Nope, not a permissions issue.

[KrasenBG]

I was not having this problem before, but I installed a game from my library, and checked create shortcut, then cancelled the game install. The steam clinet then said last installed was this day. After this I installed the game again but steam did not create shortcut. When I tried to create shortcut using right click - gave the same error as above. Just wanted to say that after launch in admin mode steam created the shortcut.