Shortcuts in Windows 8

[Phil Lee]

Looking at the MSIcode, the shortcuts to EXE files are created in a different part of the code to those for the other file types. I don't believe I hand coded this so wonder if this is the reason for it not working. This is an extract from my installer:

Code: Select all

[DEFINE WEB MEDIA SAM]
  Get Component SAM Selection State into Variable SELECTED
  if Variable SELECTED Equals TRUE
    Install Files J:\Projects\Releases\SAM 6.50k\Bestech\*.* to $TARGETDIR$, include subfolders
    Create Shortcut $SHORTCUTFOLDER$\FlexNet\FLEXId Dongle Driver Installer to $TARGETDIR$\License\Tools\FLEXId_Dongle_Driver_Installer.exe, do not include in Start Screen
    Create Shortcut $SHORTCUTFOLDER$\FlexNet\LMTOOLS to $TARGETDIR$\License\Tools\lmtools.exe, do not include in Start Screen
    Create Shortcut $SHORTCUTFOLDER$\SAM Version 6.50 to $TARGETDIR$\Sam6\SAM6.exe
    Create Shortcut $DESKTOPDIR$\SAM Version 6.50 to $TARGETDIR$\Sam6\SAM6.exe
  end
  Comment: TO-DO: Insert any additional install commands here
  [compiler if Variable BUILDMODE Equals PATCH]
  Apply Patch (get result into variable SUCCESS)
  [compiler else]
  if Variable ADVERTISE Equals TRUE
    Apply Advertised (get result into variable SUCCESS)
    else
    Create File Type Sam.Data.File with extensions .sam and associate with program $TARGETDIR$\Sam6\Sam6.exe
    Create File Type Sam.Structure.File with extensions .sst and associate with program $TARGETDIR$\Sam6\Sam6.exe
    Create Shortcut $SHORTCUTFOLDER$\Manuals\Installation Guide to $TARGETDIR$\Sam 6.50c Installation Guide.pdf, do not include in Start Screen
    Create Shortcut $SHORTCUTFOLDER$\Release Notes to $TARGETDIR$\Sam 6.50c Release Notes.pdf, do not include in Start Screen
    Create Shortcut $SHORTCUTFOLDER$\ReadMe to $TARGETDIR$\Sam 6.50c Readme.txt, do not include in Start Screen
    Create Shortcut $SHORTCUTFOLDER$\FlexNet\FlexNet License Administration Guide to $TARGETDIR$\License\Manuals\LicenseAdministration.pdf, do not include in Start Screen
    Create Shortcut $SHORTCUTFOLDER$\Manuals\BS Examples Manual to $TARGETDIR$\SAM6\Help\examplesuk.pdf, do not include in Start Screen
    Create Shortcut $SHORTCUTFOLDER$\Manuals\EN Examples Manual to $TARGETDIR$\SAM6\Help\exampleseu.pdf, do not include in Start Screen
    Create Shortcut $SHORTCUTFOLDER$\Manuals\AS 5100 Examples Manual to $TARGETDIR$\SAM6\Help\examplesau.pdf, do not include in Start Screen
    Create Shortcut $SHORTCUTFOLDER$\Manuals\AASHTO Examples Manual to $TARGETDIR$\SAM6\Help\examplesus.pdf, do not include in Start Screen
    Create Folder $SHORTCUTFILES$\Sam
    Apply Install (get result into variable SUCCESS)
  end
  [compiler end]
  Set Variable PROGRESS to 100
end
<<Code Folding Region>>
<<Code Folding Region>>

[FrancescoT]

Dear User,

I'm actually using IA *14.1 (build 9.14.12) and Win 8 RTM buil 9200.

Using the following my shortcut is never pinned, even if I am forcing to.

Code: Select all

  Create Shortcut $SHORTCUTFOLDER$\WinDiff32 to $TARGETDIR$\WinDiff.Exe, Pin to Start Screen

For what I see with your code ... all your shortucuts should not be pinned to Start Screen.

Regards

[Phil Lee]

In my code above, the LMTOOLS and FLEXId Dongle Driver Installer are the problem shortcuts. They are being pinned to the Start screen, even though they have the "do not include in Start" parameter set. I've tried deleting the shortcuts in the Project section of InstallAware and recreating them but it makes no difference. I've been digging into Windows 8 to try to find where the actual shortcuts that are in the Metro Start Screen are stored but can't find them at the moment.

[FrancescoT]

Dear Phil,

have you tried using Pin to start menu and deselecting "do not include in Start" (...just to verify what happens) ?

Regards

[Phil Lee]

I haven't but I will do now.

[Phil Lee]

Dear Phil,

have you tried using Pin to start menu and deselecting "do not include in Start" (...just to verify what happens) ?

Regards

It didn't make any difference.

[FrancescoT]

Dear Phil,

In my case the shortcut is not pinned at all ... really funny.

Regards

[Phil Lee]

Is there any documentation on what the tick box actually does? I've been digging round the Windows 8 file structure and registry and can't find any settings which indicate which icons are pinned to the new Start Screen.

[FrancescoT]

Dear Phil,

Currently, I never worked with any Win 8 dev documentation.

Let me see if I am able to find any info.

Regards

[Phil Lee]

Best I could find was this article from Microsoft. I'm not a programmer and don't really understand exactly what it does but I suspect you are making use of this within the installer.

[ian.sayles]

I have been having same problem with Windows 8, shortcut to my application does not appear automatically, have to manual add it by searching, but another shortcut to Team Viewer which I install always appears as a tile.

If I add a desktop short cut to the project it then adds a shortcut to the home screen, but if you unpin it removes the program from the search, and only way to pin it back is to go to desktop and find it in program files folder, right click and select pin to start.

I'm using the latest build of InstallAware version 15.

Is there any time scale for problems with Windows 8 Short Cuts to be fixed ?

[FrancescoT]

Dear User,

Honestly, I just tested and seems to works fine.

Could you please verify using the attached project ( ... just build it)?
The project adds two shortcuts to WIN 8 Start screen.

Regards