CODEWITHSUNDEEP
inno-setup
yahya
yahya

Reputation: 25

Shortcut to a folder on desktop in Inno Setup

I have made an exe file with Python and now I am trying to make an installer for it. I want to add a command in Inno Setup so after the installation it creates a shortcut to a folder in the installed directory (program folder/mixes). I want the shortcut to be on the desktop. I understand that you do it in the [Icons] sections but the examples I found were making a shortcut to an exe file but I want to make a shortcut to a folder. How do I do that? below is the Inno code:

#define MyAppName "Blender"
#define MyAppVersion "1.5"
#define MyAppExeName "Blender.exe"

[Setup]
AppName={#MyAppName}
AppVersion={#MyAppVersion}
DefaultDirName={autopf}\Cybercrete
DisableProgramGroupPage=yes

[Tasks]
Name: "desktopicon"; Description: "{cm:CreateDesktopIcon}"; \
    GroupDescription: "{cm:AdditionalIcons}"; Flags: unchecked

[Dirs]
Name: "{app}"; Permissions: users-full

[Files]
Source: "C:\CyberCrete\Ver 1.5\Output\Blender\{#MyAppExeName}"; DestDir: "{app}"; \
    Flags: ignoreversion
...

[Icons]
Name: "{autoprograms}\{#MyAppName}"; Filename: "{app}\{#MyAppExeName}"
Name: "{autodesktop}\{#MyAppName}"; Filename: "{app}\{#MyAppExeName}"; \
    Tasks: desktopicon
Name: "{commondesktop}\Setup"; Filename: "{app}\Setup.exe"; \
    WorkingDir: "{pf}\Program"; IconFilename: "{app}\Setup.ico"

[Run]
Filename: "{app}\{#MyAppExeName}"; \
    Description: "{cm:LaunchProgram,{#StringChange(MyAppName, '&', '&&')}}"; \
    Flags: nowait postinstall skipifsilent`

I read many forums but they are about making shortcuts to exe files not folders.

Upvotes: 2

Views: 763

Answers (2)

Martin Prikryl
Martin Prikryl

Reputation: 202272

Creating a shortcut to a folder is the same as creating shortcut to a file. Just use the path to the folder as the shortcut target:

[Icons]
Name: "{autodesktop}\My Folder"; Filename: "{app}\My Documents"

Though indeed, you should not store user's documents into app installation folder. Use user's Documents folder or application data folder.

Granting users full permissions to the program's installation folder is an equally bad practice.

Upvotes: 2

yem
yem

Reputation: 755

Seems like this link explains everything you should need to know about creating shortcuts.

My program makes PDF files as output in a folder called "mixes". I want to make it easier for the users to access the folder, that's why I want to make a shortcut to the result folder.

I would highly recommend not to make the output folder in a relative folder in the program files (i.e. in a folder that is located in a location that is based on where the program is installed). This is both not easily found and will often need Admin permissions to write to a folder stored there.

I would recommend placing the folder in Documents (assuming this is Windows) or in AppData, which would make the folder both more easily accessible and will not run into permission issues.

Upvotes: 2

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