CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javawindows-7jnataskbarlaunch4j
ToFi
ToFi

Reputation: 1188

Pinning a Java executable (with launch4j) to the Windows 7 taskbar

After spending half a day searching and trying, I'm finally giving up.

I have a java application of which I create a runnable jar (to include any other libs and just have a single jar file). With launch4j and the runnable jar I'm making an executable "MyApp.exe".

The executable ist working fine, but I want to pin it to my windows 7 taskbar. For now, I just have the taskbar entry "Close window".

After reading and implementing the following solutions with JNA

my Application displays it's "Application User Model ID" correctly in the gui (just for testing purpose).

BUT: my program is shown as "javaw.exe" in the Task Manager and I still can't pin it to the taskbar, even though I set the launch4j option "custom process name and XP style manifest".

Background information: I'm working with a windows 7 admin account and I don't want the app the require admin rights.

Anyways, if I start the app "as administrator" from the context menu and confirm the UAC message, I can now pin to the taskbar. BUT: even though I set the "Application User Model ID" properly, windows still wants to pin "javaw.exe", even though my program is now shown as "MyApp.exe" in the TaskManager.

I'm totaly confused. But I'm obviously not the only one, having these issues. => See the last comments to Gregory Pakosz answer in Using JNA to get/set application identifier

Final questions:

  1. Gregory Pakosz way with JNA to set the "Application User Model ID" ( https://stackoverflow.com/a/1928830/1128689 ) is working for me. But still, windows recognizes my app as an instance of "javaw.exe". What else do I have to do?
  2. Did maybe some windows or java update break something here?
  3. Do I really have to run my app with elevated user rights? I really don't want to...
  4. Are there some more options in launch4j which I have to set?
  5. Do I have to use a manifest file in launch4j?

Upvotes: 29

Views: 6052

Answers (4)

Rekin
Rekin

Reputation: 9971

The root cause: javaw is registered as a Host process (in Windows' registry). The shortcut behaviour is probably caused by following (source: Application User Model IDs (AppUserModelIDs))

Application-Defined and System-Defined AppUserModelIDs

Some applications do not declare an explicit AppUserModelID. They are optional. In that case, the system uses a series of heuristics to assign an internal AppUserModelID.

[...]

if the process was launched through a shortcut that contains launch arguments (usually the target content to host as the "application"), the system can determine identity and the application can be pinned and relaunched.

About the Host Process behaviour:

Registering an Application as a Host Process

An application can set the IsHostApp registry entry to cause that executable's process to be considered a host process by the taskbar. This affects its grouping and default Jump List entries.

Upvotes: 1

Paul Taylor
Paul Taylor

Reputation: 13210

No problem with winrun4j either, which is newer and easier to use than Jsmooth

Upvotes: 1

Kishore_2021
Kishore_2021

Reputation: 689

Are you looking for this, which I used in my application to show the running Java application on windows taskbar..

SystemTray systemTray = new SystemTray(composite, parent.getShell(), parent.getDisplay(), "My Application");
systemTray.makeSystemTray();

Upvotes: 0

Reg
Reg

Reputation: 11215

I got this working by creating an Exe from a runnable jar with the help of JSmooth .Pinned it to the taskbar, and ran it with no problems.

Hope this helps

Upvotes: 1

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