Start menu items are not being created

[Octopuss]

So I installed TC9 with my usual silent parameters only to find out there were no items in Start menu.

This is the relevant part of install.inf

Code: Select all

// User for shortcut creation: Blank for current user, * for all users, or give user name
UserName=*

[auto]
// Set auto=1 for automatic installation, hidden=1 for invisible installer, with parameters below and from [Installation]
auto=1
hidden=1
lang=1
alllang=0
iniloc="%programfiles%\Total Commander"
iniall=0
mkgroup=1
mkdesktop=1
update=1
// set userforicons=* for all users, empty=current user, or give user name
userforicons=*

Does anyone know what the problem is?

[ghisler(Author)]

Maybe because you were running the installer as normal (not elevated) user, but requested userforicons=* for all users?

[Octopuss]

Definitely running it under administrator type account.
When I specified user name instead of putting * in there it worked seemingly fine.

[Dalai]

Do you have the relevant section [Group] in your install.inf? Do you have the rights to create files in the start menu directory?

Regards
Dalai

[Octopuss]

this?

[Group]
Groupname=Total Commander
1=totalcmd64.exe","Total Commander 64 bit
2=totalcmd.chm","Total Commander Help
3=tcunin64.exe","Uninstall or Repair Total Commander

I literally took the inf that comes in the TC9 archive and edited some values for my own.

Obviously I do have permissions to write there. Read my previous posts carefully.

[ghisler(Author)]

I found the problem: it only happens with 64-bit install.exe/install64.exe, not with self-extracting installer. Please get new version of 64-bit install here:
https://plugins.ghisler.com/addons/installer.zip

It contains 32-bit install.exe (unchanged) and 64-bit install64.exe.

[Octopuss]

Oh, awesome!
I was doing some tests and couldn't find a reliable way of replicating the problem. It seemed somewhat random.

I have also noticed that 64bit installer archive only contains install.exe. So perhaps I was unknowingly using 32bit version to install 64bit TC all the time?

[ghisler(Author)]

The inclusion of install.exe in the 64-bit self-extracting installer was by accident, it isn't needed there.

[Dalai]

2ghisler(Author)
Don't you build the installers per script? For me it looks a little odd that 9.0 beta7 x86 and 9.0 final x64 both contain install.exe, but all other setups don't.

Regards
Dalai

[ghisler(Author)]

No, the final packing to ZIP is done manually. The install.exe files are needed only for the CD installer.

[Dalai]

Well, then you should probably start using a script . That would avoid such issues; we already had a totalcmd64.exe with hidden attribute, and probably other things.

Regards
Dalai

[Shalimar]

Well I'm not the only one then! I was thinking I was going insane.. using the new setup and with every variant of the "tcmd900ax64.exe /A1D1G1M0K1" I could think of for the icons.. and while including it in a custom w7x64 install it refused to create the damned desktop/startmenu items properly.

Given the info posted now I'm about to test using tcmd900ax32_64.exe instead.. will edit this post shortly with results!

Well edit time.. (sorry was delayed with crap)

Changed the install file to tcmd900ax32_64.exe and kept /A1D1G1M0K1 as the command line passed during w7 install. result was identical to the install prior using tcmd900ax64.exe

This of course is in the post-setup script:
sources\$OEM$\$$\Setup\Scripts\SetupComplete.cmd and scripted line is:

"%WINDIR%\Setup\Files\tcmd900ax32_64.exe" /A1D1G1M0K1

Now I also tried repacking the tcmd900ax32_64.exe using the 64bot from sfxhead_installer.zip and a modified install.inf which also failed miserably in even more ways. (Sorry I didn't document it exactly and killed the file.. but I can remake it as needed)

So.. the question then is wtf is going on with the install using post-setup scripting activated via the M$ system from w7x64 sp1 (+ updates) install media... and it's installing nicely other than refusing to create the desktop link and start menu items/folder as it should be doing. (An option to make a "quick launch" link as well would have been nice to include even if it's not default)

Anyone got any idea? I'm scratching my head here and am rather frustrated atm! ARGH!

[ghisler(Author)]

Do you run this as the logged-on user, or via some kind of system account? The installer can only create deskop and start menu items for the current user this way.

[Shalimar]

It's run as the system admin control of the windows installer on th "new" desktop, the same as other apps are from the automated script: SetupComplete.cmd

It's working find for other installers via the same script and the added switches are being passed on.. so the q is why is TC's install failing to either get (unlikely) or more likely failing to actually do as it is supposed to.

Example here is my current basic w7 install setup and the only part not working is the creation of icons for TC (desktop & SM.. which are fixed via a manual repair install after the fact but that really does not solve the problem):

@echo off
msiexec /i "%WINDIR%\Setup\Files\7z1700-x64.msi" /q INSTALLDIR="C:\Program Files\7-Zip"
"%WINDIR%\Setup\Files\BullzipPDFPrinter_7_1_0_1195.exe" /SP- /SILENT, /VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES
"%WINDIR%\Setup\Files\Notepad PP 7.4.2 x64 silent installer.exe"
"%WINDIR%\Setup\Files\ChromeStandaloneSetup64.exe" /silent /install
"%WINDIR%\Setup\Files\Firefox Setup 54.0.1.exe" -ms
"%WINDIR%\Setup\Files\tcmd900ax32_64.exe" /A1D1G1M0K1
call "%WINDIR%\Setup\Files\killciep aka telemetry.bat"
dism.exe /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:"%WINDIR%\Setup\Updates\windows6.1-kb2603229-x64.cab"
dism.exe /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:"%WINDIR%\Setup\Updates\Windows6.1-KB2533552-x64.cab"
rd /q /s "%WINDIR%\Setup\Updates"
rd /q /s "%WINDIR%\Setup\Files"
del /q /f "%0"


Also.. no switch sadly for TC to add an icon to the quick launch or "pin to taskbar" .. but maybe in a future revision?
(it's as I've said many times my #1 used tool)

[ghisler(Author)]

There is currently no switch to create icons for ALL users, so the icon will be installed for the currently logged on user. You have to rebuild the installer with modified inf file for that, as described in our Wiki:
http://www.ghisler.ch/wiki/index.php/How_to_make_installation_fully_automatic%3F