BUG: Installing Application Through the PDW Generates Error Message When Creating Icons (260581)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows 6.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows 6.0
This article was previously published under Q260581

SYMPTOMS

When you are installing an application distributed through the Package and Deployment Wizard (PDW), the following error is encountered:
An error occurred trying to create a program icon for '<Project Name>'

CAUSE

Program folders and shortcuts are created at this location

C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

or this location:

C:\Winnt\Profiles\<Loginid>\Start Menu\Programs

If the Start Menu or Programs folder has a different name, setup may raise the preceding error when trying to add the new program icon to this list.

RESOLUTION

There are four potential methods to work around this problem:
  • Choose to ignore the error, allowing the application to complete its installation. Once the install is complete, manually create the necessary Start menu items.
  • Rename the Start menu's programs folder back to its default name, \Start Menu\Programs, and then install the application.
  • Use a third-party installation program in place of the Package and Deployment Wizard.
  • Modify the setup program used by the Package and Deployment Wizard. Please note that modifications to the setup program are not supported by Microsoft. By default, the project for the Setup1.exe file is found at this location:

    C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\VB98\Wizards\PDWizard\Setup1\

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a bug in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

This problem has occurred under all versions of Microsoft Windows. However, the following "Steps to Reproduce Behavior" are not always successful in generating the error on Microsoft Windows NT and Microsoft Windows 2000.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

  1. Create a new Standard EXE project in Visual Basic and save it. Form1 is created by default.
  2. Run the Package and Deployment Wizard to create a setup program for this project. When running the wizard, accept the default choices.
  3. Run the Setup program. After the installation completes, on the Windows Start menu, select Programs, and you should see a program group named Project1 that contains a shortcut to start the Project1.exe file.
  4. On the Start menu, under Control Panel, use the Add/Remove Programs option to remove the application.
  5. Confirm that the Start menu items have been successfully removed.
  6. Right-click on the Windows Taskbar and select Properties.
  7. Select the Start Menu Programs tab.
  8. Click the Advanced button.
  9. Rename the Programs folder to A.
  10. Re-run the application's setup. This time, you receive the error message shown in the "Symptoms" section.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/15/2002
Keywords:kbAppSetup kbBug kbDeployment kbDSupport kbwizard KB260581
©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.