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    Default SetupBuilder 8 and the Windows 8 Start Screen

    -- The upcoming SetupBuilder 8 and the Windows 8 Start Screen --

    One of the biggest changes in Windows 8 is the fact that the Start Menu has
    been replaced by the tile-based Start Screen and now you have a very
    different way of launching applications.

    Some years ago, Microsoft introduced new Windows User Experience Interaction
    Guidelines. The goal was to reduce the number of items in the Start menu by
    providing shortcuts to the main program executable files. Whenever
    possible, you should NOT put shortcuts to the following items on the Start
    menu:

    * Program uninstallers -- Users access uninstallers through the Programs
    control panel item.

    * Help files -- Users access Help topics directly from your program.

    * Control panel items -- Users access control panel items from the Control
    Panel home page.

    * Program options -- Users access program options from the Options command.

    * Utility programs -- Users access utilities from commands in the Tools
    menu.

    * Readme files -- If you do need a Readme file, let users access it from
    your setup program.

    * Web sites -- Users access Web sites through appropriate links in your
    program, or Help for technical support sites.

    But most developers did not care. For good reason, because for quite a few
    programs, some of the guidelines are "suboptimal". For example, in our own
    SetupBuilder deployment strategy we decided to continue to create shortcuts
    to help files and the uninstaller.

    Up until now, it was possible to let the installer create all the above
    "non-app" shortcuts. But beginning with Windows 8, the OS is using some
    heuristics to determine what to pin to the Start screen by default (during
    the installation process).

    Desktop applications in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 should have only
    ONE tile on the Start screen to provide a shortcut that launches the app.

    On the Start screen, you are presented with a "selection" of apps that have
    been pinned to it. The Windows 8 shortcut heuristic "removes" all shortcuts
    after the installation process that aren't apps. And it's even "smart"
    enough to remove the uninstaller shortcut.

    There are many more apps than appear on the Start screen but in order to see
    them, you first have to right click and move the pointer to the resulting
    "All apps" button in the bottom right corner. "All apps" is the Windows 8
    equivalent of Windows 7's "All Programs" menu.

    All shortcuts installed for your .exe files in the old Start Menu folders
    are automatically pinned to the Start screen. For complex systems with
    quite a few shortcuts to utility programs (secondary actions) this is a real
    problem because it will flood the Start screen with tiles. If a secondary
    action needs a shortcut, you should remove (unpin) any extraneous shortcuts
    on the Start screen; it will still be visible in "All apps".

    For example: your installation creates one shortcut to launch your main
    application and six shortcuts to utility applications. As it is now, this
    will flood the Windows 8 Start screen with seven new tiles. This is a
    no-go in Windows 8!

    REMEMBER: Only ONE tile on the Start screen to provide a shortcut that
    launches the app! How to solve this major issue?

    SetupBuilder 8 will provide a new cool "Not pinned to the Windows 8 Start
    screen" shortcut option. This option prevents the desktop app's tile from
    being automatically pinned as a shortcut to the Start screen when it is
    installed for the first time. The user will be able to see the app's tile
    through their view of all installed apps.

    More Win8 stuff to come...

    --
    Friedrich Linder
    Lindersoft
    www.lindersoft.com
    +1.954.252.3910

    Helping You Build Better Installations
    SetupBuilder "point. click. ship"
    Official Comodo Code Signing and SSL Certificate Partner
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