Manually creating shortcut is super easy, rightklick on desktop, new, shortcut, choose name, done.
When installing any program how can you make it so the program will auto create a shortcut for the main executable?
Code?
A program's installer cannot be made to create shortcuts if it hasn't been written to do that.
But most are written to do this already.
- Most ask you if you want to add its shortcut to your Desktop and your Start menu.
- If you find one that does not do this then check both locations in case it just went ahead without checking for your permission.
Please tell us which of these you want advice about:-
1 I have assumed that you are asking about a shortcut to the .exe file that runs the application being installed.
2 dalchina, below, thinks you are referring to shortcuts to its installer.
Denis
Last edited by Try3; 18 Feb 2023 at 09:04.
You could of course try writing a script which you would use to launch any installation.
The usefulness of such a shortcut depends on the installation file itself then remaining/being kept in the same place.
However, some authors have you download a small file for a new installation and executing that causes the large installation file to be downloaded.
Further note that you can find the msi file for many of the programs you download and install here:
Thanks for reply, let me rephrase the question how do you write a program so the installer will create a desktopshortcut?
The way an installable program is created will copy the program files to the Program Files or Program Files (x86) folder, copy support files to Windows if needed, create the Start menu item/s and write entries to the Registry so Windows knows how to run the program. Some installers will give an option to add a shortcut to the desktop, depends upon how the programmer wrote the program. Once the .exe/executable file is located the right-click of it will show Send to (desktop as a shortcut).
You posted a PS script in another thread.
Creating a Shortcut in Powershell - Simon Online
If the installation program is not already designed to create a shortcut (automatically, or ask the user whether it's wanted), then the only way would be reverse-engineering of the installation program, then reassembling the code to an executable installation file.
Sheesh. How much work is involved in right-click > Send to > Desktop (create shortcut).
And an automatic shortcut on the Desktop to every program on installation? .... You'd never find anything
- to launch the program, I presume you mean, rather than to the install file for the program.
Whyever do you want to clutter your desktop with loads of shortcuts to programs?
There are far far better ways to manage those.
Try a decent start menu program - Open Shell (free).
So much better (and configurable) than Win 10's start menu.
You can create your own folders readily, drag 'n drop, search...
Oh, and a common complaint about desktop shortcuts is that they keep being rearranged.
Last edited by dalchina; 19 Feb 2023 at 08:03.
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