Cannot find files with Google Drive shortcuts

Problem

When syncing shortcuts to Drive for desktop, you notice that the path in the file explorer or finder shows the following: 
.shortcut-target-by-id
Some apps like Microsoft office services or other third party apps are unable to access files if the path contains that location, it refers to a shortcut.

Environment

  • Drive for desktop app
  • Mac
  • Windows OS 

Solution

  1. Instead of creating a shortcut, create a shared drive and move the real folders to the shared drive. If the Google Workspace edition offers this service. 
  2. Once the file or folder is in the shared drive, third party tools will not find the long path described below 
    and will be able to access the content: 
    .shortcut-target-by-id
  3. Add people who had access to the shared drive as members so they can continue collaborating in the files. 

Cause

.shortcut-target-by-id is the result of the users creating shortcut of files from the Shared with me section in Google Drive, these are synced to Drive for desktop and the third party tool, sometimes, are unable to read it.