How to use non-advertised shortcut on product output in InstallShield Limited Edition

Question

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?

Answer 1

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.

Answer 2

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.

Answer 3

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.