Virtualizing a shortcut to a file in a cloud desktop

One or more computer storage media storing computer executable instructions which implement a file shortcut virtualizer comprising:

• a finder component that is configured to execute on a server to identify file shortcuts that have been created within a cloud desktop of a user and to obtain information about each identified file shortcut, the information including a link target of each identified file shortcut;
• a sender component that is configured to execute on the server to receive the information about each identified file shortcut from the finder component and to send the information about each identified file shortcut to a receiver component;
• the receiver component that is configured to execute on a client terminal that establishes remote sessions with the server to allow the user to access the cloud desktop, the receiver component configured to receive the information about each identified file shortcut from the sender component;
• and
• a creator component that is configured to execute on the client terminal to receive the information about each identified file shortcut, and, for each identified file shortcut, create a virtual shortcut on the client terminal, each virtual shortcut including a link target identifying a remote application launcher on the client terminal, each virtual shortcut also identifying one or more parameters to be employed by the remote application launcher when the virtual shortcut is selected to thereby cause a file identified by the link target of the corresponding file shortcut to be opened within an associated remote application.

A method for creating a virtual shortcut comprising:

• identifying, on a server, a file shortcut that has been created on a user's cloud desktop;
• extracting information from the file shortcut, the information including a link target of the file shortcut;
• sending the information to a client terminal;
• in response to receiving the information on the client terminal, creating a connection file on the client terminal that identifies the link target of the file shortcut and a remote application associated with the link target of the file shortcut, and creating a virtual shortcut on the client terminal that identifies a remote application launcher as a link target and that identifies the connection file.