every time I select a startup item which is a *.lnk shortcut, it is replaced with the actual executable when the Startup Items List is rebuilt.
The reason I wanted the lnk, much like the old .pif, is that I wish to enforce startup directory and command-line parameters ... and I saw no other way to do it.
Windows-7 Pro 64bit, jv16 power tools 2013, fwiw