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I have imported a Visual Studio setup project (MSI / vdproj) into InstallShield Limited Edition (ISLE) and built a single setup.exe installer from it. In the "Shortcuts / Folders" page under "Configure the Target System" it shows that the shortcuts to my other projects' "Primary Output" are all Advertised shortcuts. I need non-advertised shortcuts.

I can right-click on the shortcut's containing folder and choose New Shortcut and point to an EXE that is not a project output and it will create it as a normal shortcut. If I do the same for one of the "Primary Output" targets from my projects it shows up as an advertised shortcut.

When I was using Visual Studio 2005's built-in Setup project to create an output MSI I would run a query against it to disable advertised shortcuts. I have read some opinions that the lack of control for this feature is one reason MS turned these installers over to third parties, but here I am with seemingly less control over the types of shortcuts that are created.

How can I force the shortcuts pointing to the "Primary Output" targets from my solution's other projects be non-advertised shortcuts?

Christopher Painter
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jla
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  • possible duplicate of [Can't create non-advertised shortcut in InstallShield 2012 Limited Edition](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/20173298/cant-create-non-advertised-shortcut-in-installshield-2012-limited-edition) – William Gross Dec 30 '14 at 16:59
  • That question was asked asked Nov 24 '13 at 10:01, so isn't it a duplicate of this one? – jla Jan 24 '15 at 02:31
  • I think the other question is more concise than this one. – William Gross Jan 24 '15 at 16:05

3 Answers3

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Simplest way to make all advertised shortcuts non-advertised is to set the DISABLEADVERTISEDSHORTCUTS property. This is non-IS specific. (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa368297%28v=vs.85%29.aspx).

You can set that property in the Property table, in a transform or on the command line at install time.

Otherwise, you can change the target column for each shortcut individually in the Shortcut table.

dajl
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  • The part that makes it feel InstallShield specific is that the output in Limited Edition is an exe wrapping the msi. In a VisualStudio Setup /Deployment project the output was an MSI that I could run "INSERT INTO Property(Property, Value) VALUES ('DISABLEADVTSHORTCUTS', '1')" against va WiRunSql.vbs. I agree that setting that should do the trick. I am trying to learn where and how to set it, or ideally how to do it from the VS2012 embedded ISLE GUI. – jla Dec 10 '12 at 17:13
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It appears that there isn't a way in the Limited Edition. I asked on their forum and received no answer and no one has answered here in over a month. I have just learned to live with the advertised shortcuts.

The answer appears to be either upgrade from Limited Edition to one that lets you manipulate the MSI further, or to use some other software.

jla
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  • IS LE can certainly build an exposed MSI. You build the Single Image configuration and you go in and turn setup.exe generation off. The result is an MSI that you can then postbuild hack / transform your heart away with. I wouldn't do this because it's like using ILDASM to hack a DLL because some Visual Studio for Kindergarteners edition didn't support the full language specification. I've been doing installers full time for 20 years and I promise you there are better approaches. – Christopher Painter Jan 24 '15 at 03:29
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InstallShield Limited Edition was designed (sadly IMHO) to match exactly the features that were in Setup and Deployment Projects. All shortcuts were previously advertised in the old tool so that's the way they are in the new tool.

Pick your tools wisely.

Christopher Painter
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