Setup Program Question

[Joe]

Hi,

I am using VS2005 and am attempting to create a Setup project
to install my VB.NET application onto the customer's target computer.

I am having difficulty setting the Target property for the
Desktop shortcut. It only allows me to select the Application
folder. I cannot add the actual name of the executable program after
that. When I install it and the user clicks on the shortcut, it opens
the folder where the application is installed instead of actually
starting the program - which is what I want it to do.

I realize that I can manually change the target after
installation, but it seems like I should be able to do this from the
properties page in the Setup project so that no extra work is required
after the Setup has been executed.

Can anyone tell me how to put the name of the executable in
the Target property?

J

 

[kimiraikkonen]

Hi,

I am using VS2005 and am attempting to create a Setup project
to install my VB.NET application onto the customer's target computer.

I am having difficulty setting the Target property for the
Desktop shortcut. It only allows me to select the Application
folder. I cannot add the actual name of the executable program after
that. When I install it and the user clicks on the shortcut, it opens
the folder where the application is installed instead of actually
starting the program - which is what I want it to do.

I realize that I can manually change the target after
installation, but it seems like I should be able to do this from the
properties page in the Setup project so that no extra work is required
after the Setup has been executed.

Can anyone tell me how to put the name of the executable in
the Target property?

J

IIUC, There's a simple method, you can use a third party installer
like InnoSetup (must be free for non-commercial use, don't know), or
you can put your program in a archive as a SFX cabinet(WinRAR
supports), generally seems as .exe setup files which will be extracted
to the desired path of user's.

To run the program of any path, it depends on your code, you must
insert "application startup path" into your code for external
processes to run within root folder, or you must specify target
without using a exact path/drive specifier.

Eg: If you want to play a wave file from the root folder of your
application, you must use "yourwave.wav" instead of "c:\yourwave.wav.

Hope this helps.

 

[Family Tree Mike]

I don't have VS at home. I think you create a shortcut in the file view to
the output of your executable. You create the shortcut by right-clicking on
the project output object. You then move the shortcut from that folder to
the desktop folder in the same view.

Again, hopefully this makes sense as I can not verify it here.

 

[Family Tree Mike]

Looks like I mostly have it right. Get into the file view by right-clicking
the installer project, and selecting "View" then "File View". I believe the
key is creating the shortcut in this view and moving it to where you want the
shortcut installed.

 

[jim]

Thanks. Your solution works. I'm using VS2003 and had the same issue as the
originator of this thread. Your solution works on VS2003 as well.

jim