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TIMOTHY_MANGAN's avatar
TIMOTHY_MANGAN
MVP
Apr 10, 2023

Duplication Shortcuts on Win11

[NOTE: This was submitted via Feedback hub also, making it visible to others]

 

Apps repackaged with the MSIX Packaging Tool (2023.118 and 2023.321) that have shortcuts with arguments now have an additional desktop7:shortcut element. This el is ignored on Win10 but supported on Win11. This is causing an additional copy of the shortcut in the start menu on Win11 (with an incorrect icon).

 

The icon with the correct icon starts the app, however the command line arg is not present (win10/11). The icon with the incorrect icon (Win11) does not result in a launch at all.

 

An example application producing this behavior is Telerik Fiddler (Classic). The native installation produces two shortcuts. I am attaching screen shots of how the start menu looks with the MSIX package on both Windows 10 and Windows 11, a screen shot of the relevant AppXManifest entry for one of the applications, and a completed package. I am also adding a screen-shot from the Task Manager that shows the command line when the Start menu entry for "Fiddler 4" with correct icon is run.

 

It seems that when desktop7 extension is used, it should replace (rather than augment) the entry normally created by the visual elements, but there are clearly issues with the shortcut being generated.  It looks like an AppInstaller issue to me, but possibly in the packaging.

  • TIMOTHY_MANGAN's avatar
    TIMOTHY_MANGAN
    Sep 07, 2023
    PS: The issue will be resolved using TMEditX 6.5 or above, although Microsoft may have also addressed in in their latest MMPT release which arrived in parellel - I'm not sure.
  • Edijs_Perkums_MasterPackager's avatar
    Edijs_Perkums_MasterPackager
    Brass Contributor
    Nov 09, 2023

    TIMOTHY_MANGAN 

    We have repackaged VLC using MSIX Packaging tool 1.2023.807.0 and it creates the desktop7 entries. But they are ignored both of Windows 10 and 11 (even on latest canary insider build). When the package is installed we only get 1 shortcut that is defined in the application section and no other shortcuts are visible in the start menu. 

    Fiza_Azmi we also tried adding the mentioned dependency and it still did not create more than 1 shortcut in the start menu. Are we missing anything?

     

    Here is a sample of the desktop7 entries:

                <desktop7:Extension Category="windows.shortcut">
               <desktop7:Shortcut File="[{Common Programs}]\VideoLAN\VLC media player - reset preferences and cache files.lnk" Icon="[{Package}]\VFS\ProgramFilesX86\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" Arguments="--reset-config --reset-plugins-cache vlc://quit" />
            </desktop7:Extension>
            <desktop7:Extension Category="windows.shortcut">
               <desktop7:Shortcut File="[{Common Programs}]\VideoLAN\VLC media player skinned.lnk" Icon="[{Package}]\VFS\ProgramFilesX86\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" Arguments="-Iskins" />
            </desktop7:Extension>
            <desktop7:Extension Category="windows.shortcut">
               <desktop7:Shortcut File="[{Common Programs}]\VideoLAN\VLC media player.lnk" Icon="[{Package}]\VFS\ProgramFilesX86\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" />
            </desktop7:Extension>

     

    • TIMOTHY_MANGAN's avatar
      TIMOTHY_MANGAN
      MVP
      Nov 09, 2023
      After installing, did you check the AppX event logs? They might provide a clue. Get-AppXLogs
      • Edijs_Perkums_MasterPackager's avatar
        Edijs_Perkums_MasterPackager
        Brass Contributor
        Nov 09, 2023

        TIMOTHY_MANGAN Nothing suspicious in event logs. I have attached a picture from the logs and the start menu and the manifest. This a non-modified manifest produced by MSIX packaging tool. I have never seen desktop7:Shortcut working. We have tried multiple Windows 11 release versions both physical and virtual and even insider builds.

  • TIMOTHY_MANGAN's avatar
    TIMOTHY_MANGAN
    MVP
    Apr 10, 2023
    Oh, and while looking at this... When you install the app using appinstaller, all 4 shortcuts appear in the "Recommended" area of the start page. After uninstall, the entries with the correct icons (from visual elements) go away but the other two entries remain. Those should cleanup on uninstall also.
    • TIMOTHY_MANGAN's avatar
      TIMOTHY_MANGAN
      MVP
      Aug 23, 2023

      uvinabeysinghe Remove the desktop9 shortcut from the manifest if you don't need the parameters.  Otherwise TMEditX can detect and repair for you.

       

       

      • TIMOTHY_MANGAN's avatar
        TIMOTHY_MANGAN
        MVP
        Sep 07, 2023
        PS: The issue will be resolved using TMEditX 6.5 or above, although Microsoft may have also addressed in in their latest MMPT release which arrived in parellel - I'm not sure.
    • TIMOTHY_MANGAN's avatar
      TIMOTHY_MANGAN
      MVP
      Nov 01, 2023
      Fiza_Azmi As we are repackaging traditional apps, we are not using the Windows App SDK, so I'm not sure that is related to this. Unless,, that is, that the MSIX Packaging Tool is using the SDK; in which case we'd be waiting for a new release of that tool which is built with the fix?
      • Fiza_Azmi's avatar
        Fiza_Azmi
        Icon for Microsoft rankMicrosoft
        Nov 07, 2023

        TIMOTHY_MANGAN 

        This is mainly required to get Win App SDK runtime.
        For packages that want to create Shortcuts, you just need to add Win App SDK (Min Version: 1.4.2) to the dependencies list in your Manifest as below:

         

        <PackageDependency Name="Microsoft.WindowsAppRuntime.1.4" MinVersion="4000.1010.1349.0" Publisher="CN=Microsoft Corporation, O=Microsoft Corporation, L=Redmond, S=Washington, C=US" />

         

        App Installer will download it for you during installation. If you are using Powershell command or other means to install, you can download Win App SDK from here.

         

        In the upcoming releases, the MSIX Packaging Tool will automatically add this dependency when it detects shortcuts.

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