Software Deployment

Programs Menu and Startup

Basic MSI, DIM, InstallScript, InstallScript MSI, Merge Module, MSI Database, MSM Database, Transform

The Programs Menu and Startup folders are located on the Start menu. The Programs Menu folder is the industry-standard place for installing product shortcuts. The Startup folder should contain shortcuts to only those items that need to be launched whenever Windows starts.

Send To

Basic MSI, DIM, InstallScript MSI, Merge Module, MSI Database, MSM Database, Transform

The Send To folder is available when an end user right-clicks a file; the context menu that is displayed contains a command called Send To. If you create a shortcut for your program in this folder, an end user can click any file and send it to your product.

For example, you might want your end users to be able to open an HTML page in Notepad. If you created a shortcut to Notepad in the Send To folder in the Shortcuts view, end users could right-click an HTML file and click Notepad from your Send To menu. The source file for that page opens in Notepad.

Desktop

Basic MSI, DIM, InstallScript, InstallScript MSI, Merge Module, MSI Database, MSM Database, Transform

The Desktop folder contains shortcuts for the end user’s desktop. When you create a shortcut in the Desktop folder, your product’s icon is displayed on the end user’s desktop.

The desktop is the most visible place to put a shortcut, but too many shortcut icons can clutter the end user’s desktop.