Software Deployment

For installed application if you right click and check the properties of the shortcut, if the target location is grayed out then it is an advertised shortcut.

I find that on about 50% of setup.exe installers you can use an archive utility like 7-zip and extract the MSI.

Something else I have done is while the dialog is open running handle.exe from sysinternals and looking for any open .MSIs.

To be an advertised shortcut, it must be installed - one way or another - via the Windows Installer engine. The overwhelming majority of installations which use the WI engine do so using an MSI. Thus, the best way to determine if an EXE extracts an MSI is to run the install as far as the first screen - normally a 'Welcome' dialog - and then checking the local disk for a new MSI. Most set-up programs will use %TEMP%, %SystemRoot%\TEMP or, more and more nowadays, a folder beneath %AppData%.

The best solution is turn off the MSI installer Service while installing the EXE or MSI wrapped EXE.If the Installation works fine its Jus an EXE or if it terminates stating the service then its a MSI

Now come to ur question,

The best solution is to for the properties of the shortcut n check whether its graded out in target,in exe u cant see it since its a special feature only available in MSI to advertise the shortcut.

If u found that exe is a MSI wrapped take the MSI edit with whatever tool u got and check in shortcut table whether its advertised or non advertised.

The best practice is to advertise the shortcut in order to go for self heal.Hope this clears.post if u got queries :)

very good sugesstion given by naveen....

do like that to identify the shortcut is advertise/unadvertise is very easy...

try that it work surely..indran...