How to create a shortcut within Setup for an application

[Rex]

I've inherited a desktop application written in Visual Studio 2003.

I've recently updated the application, and I've built a new Setup reflected the updated components. The resulting .msi file works fine, with the exception of the shortcut I've tried to include.

In the Setup portion of the application, I've specified a shortcut for the application be built, and through Properties of the shortcut have specified the application folder where the application is installed. However, the resulting "target" for the shortcut has only the folder name, and doesn't include the name of the actual .exe file to be invoked.

This should be simple, but I've been trying options for days and haven't figured out how to include the executable name in the "target" information.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be MOST appreciated!!!

 

[JuggaloBrotha]

When you run the program from the shortcut, does it actually start your program?

I've noticed with the VS installers (the msi files) when they create shortcuts, instead of a direct path to the file (usually the exe file) it has a registry key instead, but the shortcut still launches the correct exe file in the end anyways, so I don't worry about it.

 

[Rex]

When I double-click on the icon, it just opens the application folder; the application itself doesn't start/launch.

Sigh...

 

[JohnH]

You have to create shortcut pointing to primary output. See this post and link there also to documentation.

 

[Rex]

These are the steps I've been following for the past several days. Unfortunately, the resulting "target" specifies only the application folder; when I double-click the icon, that folder is opened rather than starting the application.

Any suggestions of what I might be doing wrong???

 

[JuggaloBrotha]

From the sounds of it:
You're right clicking the actual 'Application Folder' on the left side (The tree view) of the 'File System' to create a shortcut

What you should be doing is right click on the actual exe file on the right side (The files/folders view) of the 'File System' to create a shortcut

 

[Rex]

It looks like I finally figured out what was going on. After creating the shortcut within the Application Folder (which sets the Target to Primary Output), the Folder property needs to be changed to User's Desktop, which moves the shortcut into that folder. Any other combination of actions resulted in a different value for Target which just opened the application folder.

Thanks for the input, guys!!!

 

[JohnH]

I've not encountered that before when creating the shortcut in app folder and moving the shortcut, while it it equally easy to create the shortcut in the folder it is destined for.

 

[JuggaloBrotha]

What I do is:
I right click on the file that the shortcut will point to and I select 'Make shortcut', I then rename the shortcut to something more meaningful and I set the icon. Next I move (drag and drop) the shortcut into the folder where it'll need to be made when the installer is finished.

Everything works. The shortcut has the correct name and icon after installation and when I 'double click'/click on it, it runs/opens the correct file.