Windows 10 Start Menu

[PPRiphagen]

Hello,

Since Microsoft decided to change the start menu, we have a problem with the way we install our software

Normally we have a layout
[CompanyName]
--[Product v1.0.0]
-- -- [ApplicationName]
-- -- -- Application.lnk
-- -- [Documentation]
-- -- -- Doc link1
-- -- -- Doc link2
-- Uninstall Product v1.0.0
--[Product v1.0.1]
--[Other Product]

But in Windows 10, this is all squashed into just the CompanyName folder, Uninstall links are gone and shortcuts of different versions of our software are just placed all under CompanyName. So for Windows 10 I guess we should revise the Start Menu to only include App links, like Microsoft wants us to.

However, since the majority of customer still use Windows 7 and lower we would like to keep our current layout for Windows 7 and lower.

Is (or will there be) a way in Advanced Installer to cope with this? (Different start menu layout for Windows 10 and others?)
Do you know of other workarounds (except 3rd party stuff like Classic Shell, which we do not want to impose to our customers) to work around this issue?

Thank you

Patrick Riphagen

[Daniel]

Hello Patrick,

As a workaround you can try to condition the components of the start menu resources you want to install using the "VersionNT" property. However, this will require you creating some dummy components and shortcut to external files because a shortcut to an installed file cannot be moved into a different component than its target file. So, you should create different shortcuts for each of your target OS, move them in different components and condition the components accordingly using the "VersionNT" property.

All the best,
Daniel

[PPRiphagen]

Hello Daniel,

That would indeed be an option. Thank you.

Do you know if there are guidelines from Microsoft on what to put in the new All Apps menu? Only just apps?
Because we used to put links to some doxygen manuals and an uninstall shortcut there.

Should we not do this anymore? (Also concerning the 512 max items issue)

About the uninstall shortcut, we do not see this shortcut in the All Apps menu anymore. It is in the folder on disk, but not shown in the menu.
Is this one filtered out? We do not use the link to the msiexec but the Advanced installer provided version to show the surface UI we are also using on install.

Thank you
Patrick

[Daniel]

Hello Patrick,

I'm not aware of any Microsoft guidelines for "All Apps" menu content. The only thing I'm aware of is that Microsoft does not recommend indeed to use shortcuts to uninstall. And I think this is why they do not display them in the "All Apps" menu.

If you have any further questions just let us know.

All the best,
Daniel

[PPRiphagen]

Hi Daniel,

Thank you for your answers

So then on Windows 10 we shall not install the uninstall shortcuts anymore, thank you

Patrick

[Daniel]

You're welcome Patrick.

All the best,
Daniel