|I want to modify the installer to create a desktop shortcut when a
| program is installed. I found this discussion
| http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.php?t=451311
| that explains, "by adding just 4 lines of code, the Packaging &
| Deployment Wizard and Setup1.vbp can be easily modified to create
| Desktop shortcuts, as well as Start Menu shortcuts."
| http://www.freevbcode.com/ShowCode.asp?ID=3650
| I was wondering how this looked to people here, and if there are other
| approaches that might be better.
|

> Just to expand on that last post a bit...
>
>   Setup1 from the PDW is an interesting project
> that includes all of the functionality needed for
> an installation. It's really whatever you want it
> to be. But you need to be willing to spend a
> little time getting familiar with it.
>
>   Also note that when making changes you should
> take care to log them in the uninstall log. The code
> you linked to doesn't do that, but it's easy to do.
> The functions are in vb6stkit.dll and they're amply
> demonstrated in the setup1 code. If you look at
> the code in the link I posted above there's a function
> called DoDeskLink. It includes these lines:
>
> NewAction GstrKEY_PRIVATEFILE, QUOTEMARK&  sLNKPath&  QUOTEMARK
> AddActionNote "Desktop link created."
> CommitAction
>
> Those lines write to the ST6UNST.LOG file in the
> program folder, which is used for uninstall. They
> write lines something like:
>
> ACTION: PrivateFile: "C:\Documents and Settings\All
> Users\Desktop\SomeProgram.LNK"
> (Desktop link created.)
>
>    With the CommitAction call those lines are written to
> the log. So when your program is uninstalled the Desktop
> shortcut will be removed. You can do the same for
> custom Registry settings, folder creation, etc. Just log
> them and they'll be undone at uninstall. (See any uninstall
> log file from a VB6 install to see how that works.)
>
>    The No-Setup.exe version I linked to also has a
> simple class for setting permissions on files/folders/
> Registry keys.
>
>      So you can customize your install in
> all sorts of ways, and still have it cleanly removed
> by the standard PDW uninstaller. But be careful with
> vb6stkit.dll. It's specially designed for the PDW.
> OSfCreateShellLink may work OK, but you need to
> test it. The shelllnk.tlb method is probably safer.
> An example of the kind of quirks you'll find with
> vb6stkit.dll: It has a function ExtractFileFromCab that
> looks quite handy. But if I remember correctly that
> function is actually hardcoded to look for the CAB
> in the Windows folder (!), because the PDW normally
> moves the CAB file there before proceeding with install.

"Nobody" <nob***@nobody.com> wrote in message
news:i66apf$ntr$1@speranza.aioe.org...
| "Mike S" <ms***@yahoo.com> wrote in message
| news:i64jr1$c7k$1@news.eternal-september.org...
| > I decided to take the plunge and try Inno Setup, I have to say Inno is a

> If you are installing OCX files and other shared files(You have used
> sharedfile flag), then also add the flag uninsnosharedfileprompt, otherwise,
> the user is asked during uninstall that a shared file is not needed by any
> other application, and asks the user what to do. Most users don't know what
> to choose, so they get confused. So use this flag so they don't see this
> prompt.
>
> Also, on your files, such as the EXE and any files that may be in use, use
> the flags "restartreplace" and "uninsrestartdelete". If you don't, the
> installation would fail(and rollback any changes) if some files where in
> use. Without "uninsrestartdelete" flag, if the user uninstalled your
> application while it still running, the uninstallation succeeds, but the EXE
> is left in the user's system and it would not be deleted on the next
> restart.
>
> Inno has an AppMutex setting in [Setup] section that you can use so it shows
> an error message if your application is still running. There is a VB sample
> in the help under that setting in how to use it.

> "Mike S"<ms***@yahoo.com>  wrote in message
> news:i61k16$sjp$1@news.eternal-september.org...
>
>> I want to modify the installer to create a desktop shortcut when a program
>> is installed. I found this discussion
>> http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.php?t=451311
>> that explains, "by adding just 4 lines of code, the Packaging&  Deployment
>> Wizard and Setup1.vbp can be easily modified to create Desktop shortcuts,
>> as well as Start Menu shortcuts."
>> http://www.freevbcode.com/ShowCode.asp?ID=3650
>> I was wondering how this looked to people here, and if there are other
>> approaches that might be better.
>
> I didn't follow the links, but I want to urge you to ASK the user for
> permission to install a shortcut onto the desktop. I personally despise
> installers that do this without asking, and have actually denied everyone
> the ability to create files/folders and/or write data to both my personal
> and the All Users desktop.
>
> If you don't ask for permission (due to technical reasons--or just plain
> laziness), please make sure that your installer doesn't FAIL simply because
> it can't create a shortcut; just report an error and move along. The only
> thing worse than not asking permission is acting like that desktop shortcut
> is the most important thing in the world. (And believe me, there are
> installers out there like that.)