Windows 2000 Distributed Link Tracking Client

The Distributed Link Tracking (DLT) Client service in Microsoft Windows 2000 is a background system component designed to maintain the integrity of file links across storage locations. This article explains how the service automatically tracks, resolves, and repairs broken shell shortcuts (.lnk files) and Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) links when target files are renamed, moved to different directories, or relocated across drives and domain networks.

Prior to Windows 2000, shortcuts relied primarily on absolute and relative file paths. If a target file was renamed or relocated, the shortcut broke, forcing the operating system to initiate an exhaustive search of the drive or prompt the user with a "Problem with Shortcut" dialog box.

The Distributed Link Tracking Client service (internal name TrkWks) prevents these failures by enabling link tracking beneath the file system path layer. Running automatically in the background, it ensures that shortcuts retain access to their intended destinations without requiring manual user intervention.

How Shortcut Resolution Works

The DLT Client operates in tandem with the NTFS 5.0 file system introduced in Windows 2000. It utilizes several underlying mechanisms to maintain shortcuts:

  • NTFS Object Identifiers (Object IDs): When a shortcut or link is created, the DLT Client requests that NTFS assign a persistent, 128-bit globally unique identifier (GUID), known as an Object ID, to the target file. This ID is stored directly inside the file's Master File Table (MFT) metadata record.
  • Link Storage: The generated .lnk shortcut file stores not only the traditional path and drive letter of the target, but also its assigned Object ID and machine identifier.
  • Intra-Volume Resolution: If a target file is renamed or moved anywhere within the same NTFS volume, its path changes, but its Object ID remains intact. When a user clicks the shortcut, the DLT Client queries the file system directly for the Object ID, locating the file instantly without scanning the drive.

Cross-Volume and Cross-Machine Tracking

When files are moved between different NTFS volumes on the same computer, or across computers in a Windows 2000 Active Directory domain, the local Object ID changes. To resolve these scenarios, the DLT Client works with the Distributed Link Tracking Server service (TrkSvr), which runs on domain controllers:

  1. Move Notification: When a file moves across volumes or domain-joined machines, the local DLT Client notifies the target volume and registers a mapping of the old Object ID to the new Object ID.
  2. Server Coordination: The client communicates this update to the domain controller hosting the DLT Server service.
  3. Transparent Redirection: When the user accesses the original shortcut, the local DLT Client detects the missing target, queries the domain controller with the original ID, retrieves the file's new location, and automatically updates the shortcut file with the new path data.

By relying on unique metadata IDs rather than static file paths, the Distributed Link Tracking Client service provides seamless, automated link maintenance for enterprise and local environments in Windows 2000.