Asp Forum - Putting a shortcut on the startmenu in VS2008 deployment project

Marcus

1/28/2010 8:08:00 PM

Hi

I have this deployment project in VS2008 where I have 2 applications
(exe:s) packed in the msi. Both will be put in a %ProgramFiles%/
myFolder at install time. Lets call the applications A and B.

For application A a shortcut is also created on the Windows start
menu.
The really strange thing is that when application B is running and the
user starts application A from the start menu, then application B is
brutally killed.
If however application B is running and the user starts application A
from its target location instead, then B is not killed (which of
course is the behaviour that I am looking for)

Does someone have an idea why B is killed when starting A from the
startmenu shortcut?

thanks

4 Answers

Phil Wilson

1/30/2010 6:49:00 PM

"Killed" isn't very informative. Does it crash with an error? Silently
terminate?
--
Phil Wilson

"Marcus" <marcussilfver@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:af318711-86c6-44f6-ba1f-e2ff378aa58f@k41g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...
> Hi
>
> I have this deployment project in VS2008 where I have 2 applications
> (exe:s) packed in the msi. Both will be put in a %ProgramFiles%/
> myFolder at install time. Lets call the applications A and B.
>
> For application A a shortcut is also created on the Windows start
> menu.
> The really strange thing is that when application B is running and the
> user starts application A from the start menu, then application B is
> brutally killed.
> If however application B is running and the user starts application A
> from its target location instead, then B is not killed (which of
> course is the behaviour that I am looking for)
>
> Does someone have an idea why B is killed when starting A from the
> startmenu shortcut?
>
> thanks

Marcus

1/31/2010 9:23:00 AM

On 30 Jan, 19:48, "Phil Wilson" <pdjwil...@nospam.cox.net> wrote:
> "Killed" isn't very informative. Does it crash with an error? Silently
> terminate?
> --
> Phil Wilson
>
> "Marcus" <marcussilf...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:af318711-86c6-44f6-ba1f-e2ff378aa58f@k41g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...
>
>
>
> > Hi
>
> > I have this deployment project in VS2008 where I have 2 applications
> > (exe:s) packed in the msi. Both will be put in a %ProgramFiles%/
> > myFolder at install time. Lets call the applications A and B.
>
> > For application A a shortcut is also created on the Windows start
> > menu.
> > The really strange thing is that when application B is running and the
> > user starts application A from the start menu, then application B is
> > brutally killed.
> > If however application B is running and the user starts application A
> > from its target location instead, then B is not killed (which of
> > course is the behaviour that I am looking for)
>
> > Does someone have an idea why B is killed when starting A from the
> > startmenu shortcut?
>
> > thanks- Dölj citerad text -
>
> - Visa citerad text -

Thanks for answering Phil.
Sorry for not being clear. Well it is not closed gracefully at all.
Windows claims that it has stopped working or something alike. A
couple of more hints:

* When I click the shortcut in the startmenu then Vista asks me to
confirm my action (something like "an unidentified program is trying
to..."). If I on the other hand starts application A from its target
location in %ProgramFiles%/myFolder instead then Vista just launches A
right away.

* If I in my deployment project puts the exe file of A physically in
the startmenu instead of just having a shortcut there, then things
works ok after install.

So the problem seams to be with the shortcut

Marcus

1/31/2010 5:25:00 PM

On 31 Jan, 10:22, Marcus <marcussilf...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 30 Jan, 19:48, "Phil Wilson" <pdjwil...@nospam.cox.net> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > "Killed" isn't very informative. Does it crash with an error? Silently
> > terminate?
> > --
> > Phil Wilson
>
> > "Marcus" <marcussilf...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> >news:af318711-86c6-44f6-ba1f-e2ff378aa58f@k41g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...
>
> > > Hi
>
> > > I have this deployment project in VS2008 where I have 2 applications
> > > (exe:s) packed in the msi. Both will be put in a %ProgramFiles%/
> > > myFolder at install time. Lets call the applications A and B.
>
> > > For application A a shortcut is also created on the Windows start
> > > menu.
> > > The really strange thing is that when application B is running and the
> > > user starts application A from the start menu, then application B is
> > > brutally killed.
> > > If however application B is running and the user starts application A
> > > from its target location instead, then B is not killed (which of
> > > course is the behaviour that I am looking for)
>
> > > Does someone have an idea why B is killed when starting A from the
> > > startmenu shortcut?
>
> > > thanks- Dölj citerad text -
>
> > - Visa citerad text -
>
> Thanks for answering Phil.
> Sorry for not being clear. Well it is not closed gracefully at all.
> Windows claims that it has stopped working or something alike. A
> couple of more hints:
>
> * When I click the shortcut in the startmenu then Vista asks me to
> confirm my action (something like "an unidentified program is trying
> to..."). If I on the other hand starts application A from its target
> location in %ProgramFiles%/myFolder instead then Vista just launches A
> right away.
>
> * If I in my deployment project puts the exe file of A physically in
> the startmenu instead of just having a shortcut there, then things
> works ok after install.
>
> So the problem seams to be with the shortcut- Dölj citerad text -
>
> - Visa citerad text -

I just discovered something more... If I install it on Windows XP
instead of Vista, then when clicking the shortcut on the startmenu it
looks like something is installing or something and then followed by a
popup recommending me to reboot since I have changed the
configuration.

Wilson, Phil

2/1/2010 5:55:00 PM

It looks like it's doing a repair. Every file and registry item is
registered, and if something is wrong with the installed setup it will
repair it. The application event log will say something about what's going
on, but if you have changed something after you installed you'll see this.
Since a repair re-installs files and may run custom actions it looks like
that is interfering with your running program.
--
Phil Wilson
The Definitive Guide to Windows Installer
http://www.apress.com/book/view/...

"Marcus" <marcussilfver@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:75bfc4e9-8ca8-4f36-828b-43c5398e3ab5@e37g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...
On 31 Jan, 10:22, Marcus <marcussilf...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 30 Jan, 19:48, "Phil Wilson" <pdjwil...@nospam.cox.net> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > "Killed" isn't very informative. Does it crash with an error? Silently
> > terminate?
> > --
> > Phil Wilson
>
> > "Marcus" <marcussilf...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> >news:af318711-86c6-44f6-ba1f-e2ff378aa58f@k41g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...
>
> > > Hi
>
> > > I have this deployment project in VS2008 where I have 2 applications
> > > (exe:s) packed in the msi. Both will be put in a %ProgramFiles%/
> > > myFolder at install time. Lets call the applications A and B.
>
> > > For application A a shortcut is also created on the Windows start
> > > menu.
> > > The really strange thing is that when application B is running and the
> > > user starts application A from the start menu, then application B is
> > > brutally killed.
> > > If however application B is running and the user starts application A
> > > from its target location instead, then B is not killed (which of
> > > course is the behaviour that I am looking for)
>
> > > Does someone have an idea why B is killed when starting A from the
> > > startmenu shortcut?
>
> > > thanks- Dölj citerad text -
>
> > - Visa citerad text -
>
> Thanks for answering Phil.
> Sorry for not being clear. Well it is not closed gracefully at all.
> Windows claims that it has stopped working or something alike. A
> couple of more hints:
>
> * When I click the shortcut in the startmenu then Vista asks me to
> confirm my action (something like "an unidentified program is trying
> to..."). If I on the other hand starts application A from its target
> location in %ProgramFiles%/myFolder instead then Vista just launches A
> right away.
>
> * If I in my deployment project puts the exe file of A physically in
> the startmenu instead of just having a shortcut there, then things
> works ok after install.
>
> So the problem seams to be with the shortcut- Dölj citerad text -
>
> - Visa citerad text -

I just discovered something more... If I install it on Windows XP
instead of Vista, then when clicking the shortcut on the startmenu it
looks like something is installing or something and then followed by a
popup recommending me to reboot since I have changed the
configuration.

microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.setup

Putting a shortcut on the startmenu in VS2008 deployment project

Marcus

Phil Wilson

Marcus

Marcus

Wilson, Phil

x Login to ForumsZone