How to define which shortcut appears on the Start Menu after installing?

Question

I'm working on a Windows Setup Project in Visual Studio. In the "File System" editor, below the "User's Programs Menu" node, I have a folder for my application that contains several shortcuts. One shortcut serves to launch the application; a different one restores the application's factory settings (so it also calls the application, but with an argument).

After running the installer, the folder - and shortcuts it contains - are created correctly in the Start Menu. Additionally, without any action on my behalf, the installer creates an additional shortcut at the "top level" of the Start Menu (i.e. it's visible when one opens the Start Menu by clicking the Start button).

This additional shortcut used to be the one for launching the application. That was fine. But since I added the "Factory reset" shortcut, this is the one that appears at the "top level" of the Start Menu. This is pointless, and will just confuse users. Is there any way to change this?

EDIT (clarification): Since I added the "Factory reset" shortcut, only this shortcut appears at the top level of the Start Menu (which I don't want), and the shortcut to launch the application no longer appears (but I want it to). Note that all shortcuts in the Start Menu's subfolder are correct. What I'm referring to here is the single shortcut that appears automatically at the top level of the Start Menu (immediately visible when the Start button is clicked).

Would users manually have to click on both shortcuts to start and reset the application? — Chelseawillrecover, Nov 09 '13 at 20:24
One shortcut is only for starting the application; the other (for emergency situations) is only to reset it. — Dabbler, Nov 10 '13 at 15:05
So your concern is to see where else you can place the reset shortcut?. If you can provide a screenshot of how the shortcuts are placed, that would be fine — Chelseawillrecover, Nov 10 '13 at 15:30
If you can provide a screenshot that would make it much better. Each shortcuts does point to a location. — Chelseawillrecover, Nov 10 '13 at 17:43

score 1 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:28

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You'll have to explicitly mark your "factory reset" shortcut with the System.AppUserModel.ExcludeFromShowInNewInstall property. Raymond Chen shows how to do this in this blog post.

Note that this question was asked before.

edited May 23 '17 at 12:28

Community

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answered Nov 15 '13 at 22:19

Hans Passant

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Thanks - it's certainly a pointer in the right direction. But how does one set that property in VS's Setup Project? Does it require implementing a custom action? – Dabbler Nov 16 '13 at 10:30

How to define which shortcut appears on the Start Menu after installing?

1 Answers1