Shortcuts

The Shortcuts view shows all shortcuts in the MSI and lets you add or edit them.

Add a shortcut

Open the shortcut editing flyout, complete the required fields, and select Add.

Shortcut fields

Field	Description
Name	Sets the shortcut name.
File Target	Points directly to a specific file.
Component Target (Advertised Shortcut)	For advertised shortcuts, Target shows the component name instead of a direct file path. When the shortcut runs, Windows Installer checks whether the component key path exists and repairs the installation if needed before launching the application.
Location	Sets the shortcut location.
Working Directory	Sets the folder from which the target application starts. Some applications need this to locate dependent files.
Arguments	Sets the command-line arguments passed to the target file.
Description	Sets the shortcut Comment field shown as tooltip text in Windows Explorer.
Run	Specifies how the application window is displayed.
Component	Defines which component installs the shortcut. Every shortcut in the MSI must belong to a component.

For Location, [ProgramMenuFolder] is usually the best choice. It resolves to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs.

This keeps the shortcut aligned with standard Windows behavior and user expectations.

tip

Advertised shortcuts help with self-repair, but they can cause unexpected repair prompts if the MSI is configured incorrectly.

Advertised shortcut configuration

When adding a shortcut, choose whether it should be advertised or non-advertised.

Option	Description
ON (recommended)	Installs the shortcut as advertised. It can trigger MSI repair if the component key path is missing.
OFF	Runs the target file directly and does not trigger MSI repair.

note

Advertised shortcuts are recommended in most cases because they help keep the application functional if the component key path goes missing. They also require an explicit icon because they do not inherit the target executable icon by default.