Feature: Show error when a shortcut can't be created

src/Files.App/Filesystem/FilesystemOperations/ShellFilesystemOperations.cs

@@ -279,7 +279,10 @@ public async Task<IStorageHistory> CreateShortcutItemsAsync(IList<IStorageItemWi
 			var items = source.Zip(destination, (src, dest, index) => new { src, dest, index }).Where(x => !string.IsNullOrEmpty(x.src.Path) && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(x.dest));
 			foreach (var item in items)
 			{
-				if (await FileOperationsHelpers.CreateOrUpdateLinkAsync(item.dest, item.src.Path))
+				var result = await FileOperationsHelpers.CreateOrUpdateLinkAsync(item.dest, item.src.Path);
+				if (!result)
+					result = await UIFilesystemHelpers.HandleShortcutCannotBeCreated(Path.GetFileName(item.dest), item.src.Path);
+				if (result)
 				{
 					createdSources.Add(item.src);
 					createdDestination.Add(StorageHelpers.FromPathAndType(item.dest, FilesystemItemType.File));

src/Files.App/Helpers/UIFilesystemHelpers.cs

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 using Files.App.ViewModels;
 using Files.App.ViewModels.Dialogs;
 using Files.Backend.Enums;
+using Files.Backend.Extensions;
 using Files.Backend.Services;
 using Files.Shared;
 using Files.Shared.Enums;
@@ -395,6 +396,25 @@ public static async Task CreateShortcutFromDialogAsync(IShellPage associatedInst
 			var viewModel = new CreateShortcutDialogViewModel(associatedInstance.FilesystemViewModel.WorkingDirectory);
 			var dialogService = Ioc.Default.GetRequiredService<IDialogService>();
 			await dialogService.ShowDialogAsync(viewModel);
+
+			if (viewModel.ShortcutCreatedSuccessfully)
+				return;
+
+			await HandleShortcutCannotBeCreated(viewModel.ShortcutCompleteName, viewModel.DestinationItemPath);
+		}
+
+		public static async Task<bool> HandleShortcutCannotBeCreated(string shortcutName, string destinationPath)
+		{
+			var result = await DialogDisplayHelper.ShowDialogAsync(
+				"CannotCreateShortcutDialogTitle".ToLocalized(),
+				"CannotCreateShortcutDialogMessage".ToLocalized(),
+				"Create".ToLocalized(),
+				"Cancel".ToLocalized());
+			if (!result)
+				return false;
+
+			var shortcutPath = Path.Combine(CommonPaths.DesktopPath, shortcutName);
+			return await FileOperationsHelpers.CreateOrUpdateLinkAsync(shortcutPath, destinationPath);
 		}
 	}
 }

src/Files.App/Interacts/BaseLayoutCommandImplementationModel.cs

@@ -86,10 +86,11 @@ public virtual async void CreateShortcut(RoutedEventArgs e)
 		{
 			foreach (ListedItem selectedItem in SlimContentPage.SelectedItems)
 			{
-				var filePath = Path.Combine(associatedInstance.FilesystemViewModel.WorkingDirectory,
-								string.Format("ShortcutCreateNewSuffix".GetLocalizedResource(), selectedItem.Name) + ".lnk");
+				var fileName = string.Format("ShortcutCreateNewSuffix".GetLocalizedResource(), selectedItem.Name) + ".lnk";
+				var filePath = Path.Combine(associatedInstance.FilesystemViewModel.WorkingDirectory, fileName);
 
-				await FileOperationsHelpers.CreateOrUpdateLinkAsync(filePath, selectedItem.ItemPath);
+				if (!await FileOperationsHelpers.CreateOrUpdateLinkAsync(filePath, selectedItem.ItemPath))
+					await UIFilesystemHelpers.HandleShortcutCannotBeCreated(fileName, selectedItem.ItemPath);
 			}
 		}
 

src/Files.App/Strings/en-US/Resources.resw

@@ -2877,4 +2877,10 @@
   <data name="ReleaseNotes" xml:space="preserve">
     <value>Release Notes</value>
   </data>
+  <data name="CannotCreateShortcutDialogTitle" xml:space="preserve">
+    <value>Files is not authorized to create a shortcut here.</value>
+  </data>
+  <data name="CannotCreateShortcutDialogMessage" xml:space="preserve">
+    <value>Do you want to place the shortcut on the desktop?</value>
+  </data>
 </root>

src/Files.App/ViewModels/Dialogs/CreateShortcutDialogViewModel.cs

@@ -16,7 +16,13 @@ public class CreateShortcutDialogViewModel : ObservableObject
 		public readonly string WorkingDirectory;
 
 		// Tells whether destination path exists
-		public bool DestinationPathExists { get; set; } = false;
+		public bool DestinationPathExists { get; set; }
+
+		// Tells wheteher the shortcut has been created
+		public bool ShortcutCreatedSuccessfully { get; private set; }
+
+		// Shortcut name with extension
+		public string ShortcutCompleteName { get; private set; } = string.Empty;
 
 		// Destination of the shortcut chosen by the user (can be a path or a URL)
 		private string _destinationItemPath;
@@ -73,7 +79,12 @@ private async Task CreateShortcut()
 			if (DestinationPathExists)
 			{
 				destinationName = Path.GetFileName(DestinationItemPath);
-				destinationName ??= Path.GetDirectoryName(DestinationItemPath);
+				if (destinationName is null)
+				{
+					if (!DestinationItemPath.EndsWith('\\'))
+						DestinationItemPath += "\\";
+					destinationName = Path.GetDirectoryName(DestinationItemPath);
+				}
 			}
 			else
 			{
@@ -82,19 +93,17 @@ private async Task CreateShortcut()
 			}
 
 			var shortcutName = string.Format("ShortcutCreateNewSuffix".ToLocalized(), destinationName);
-			var filePath = Path.Combine(
-				WorkingDirectory,
-				shortcutName + extension);
+			ShortcutCompleteName = shortcutName + extension;
+			var filePath = Path.Combine(WorkingDirectory, ShortcutCompleteName);
 
 			int fileNumber = 1;
 			while (Path.Exists(filePath))
 			{
-				filePath = Path.Combine(
-					WorkingDirectory,
-					shortcutName + $" ({++fileNumber})" + extension);
+				ShortcutCompleteName = shortcutName + $" ({++fileNumber})" + extension;
+				filePath = Path.Combine(WorkingDirectory, ShortcutCompleteName);
 			}
 
-			await FileOperationsHelpers.CreateOrUpdateLinkAsync(filePath, DestinationItemPath);
+			ShortcutCreatedSuccessfully = await FileOperationsHelpers.CreateOrUpdateLinkAsync(filePath, DestinationItemPath);
 		}
 	}
 }