Software Deployment

Why not simply use [%ALLUSERSPROFILE] - which will resolve the ALLUSERPROFILE environment variable - instead?

Thanks for the reply. Once again, I don't seem to have received an email notification, so didn't see this come through. Anyway, I've just come up against another program with the same 'missing predefined folders' options. This time I'm trying to put something into the users profile instead of the all users profile. I've modified your suggestion and created a folder called [%USERPROFILE]. InstallShield seems to remove the square brackets and when it installs, it puts the requested files into a folder called %USERPROFILE .. rather than the users actual profile.

Any suggestions on what I'm doing wrong?

Edit - I'm using InstallShield, but it looks like this is a WISE package.

Why not populate the Directory table with the required entries an then point the Component.Directory_ column for the component holding the .lnk file?

ORIGINAL: brettski
Once again, I don't seem to have received an email notification, so didn't see this come through. I tend not to use email notifications for forums and such any longer, as I get enough emails as it is!. Instead, I use Firefox together with the free add-in 'ReloadEvery' which you can set to refresh a page at set intervals. Very useful...

ORIGINAL: AngelD

Why not populate the Directory table with the required entries an then point the Component.Directory_ column for the component holding the .lnk file?


If that would work, I'm happy to give it a try. Unfortunately I've never been given any training in MSI, so manipulating the actual tables isn't something I've played with much. One question though. Wouldn't I still need to populate the Directory table with some kind of variable eg %USERPROFILE .. which is what it didn't seem to be recognising in the Files and Folders section.
I’ve just tried the following as a test. I created the required folder structure, then went to the Directory table and found the USERPROFILE directory I’d just created. It’s parent directory is listed as TARGETDIR which seems to mean the top level as displayed in InstallShield. The DefaultDir I changed to %USERPROFILE. The install still creates a folder called %USERPROFILE in the root of C:\ . Sorry for asking what are probably pretty simple questions.

To put a shortcut in the "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs" folder:

Set the value of the ALLUSERS property to 1

You can populate the Directory table in two ways; simple or less simple
(Simple) Directory table
Directory Directory_Parent DefaultDir
ProgramMenuFolder TARGETDIR .:Programs
TARGETDIR SOURCEDIR

(Less simple) Directory table
Directory Directory_Parent DefaultDir
ProgramMenuFolder StartMenuFolder .:Programs
StartMenuFolder ProfilesFolder .:StartMen|Start Menu
ProfilesFolder WindowsFolder .:Profiles
WindowsFolder TARGETDIR .:Windows
TARGETDIR SOURCEDIR

Set the installation directory for the shortcut:
In the Shortcut table find the existing shortcut entry and use the ProgramMenuFolder directory reference (Shortcut.Directory_=ProgramMenuFolder)

Hi AngelD,
I've finally managed to get back to this job, so thanks for the response. Unfortunately I'm a little confused with what I'm trying to do here. I can see that the Directory table already has all the values listed in the "Less simple" description you provided, but it's not showing those folders in the "Files and Folders" area of InstallShield. Therefore I can't add in the .lnk file I need to.

I also have a very similar problem with EndNote; I'm trying to do the same thing except put some files into the %USERPROFILE\Application Data\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP area. Once again, the predefined folders does not contain the userprofile folder/variable that would normally allow this to occur.

What I'd really like to know how to do is how to get a folder, based on a variable to show up in the Pre-Defined area of Files and Folders. Then I could use the same process whether it's for the variable %USERPROFILE%, %ALLUSERSPROFILE% or anything else.
Thanks again
Brett

Don't know much about InstallShield; I'm a Wise guy [;)] but I guess there are similar settings.
Can you set to hide empty folders or more likely in your case show empty folders?