How can I create a shortcut (.lnk) for my application in the Startup folder programmatically in .NET / C #

Question

My application will have a launch shortcut on the computer (not for the user). I can create a shortcut during the installation process without any problems. My problem occurs when the user later deletes it and then tries to re-enable it. In other words, they turn off RunOnStartup (which removes ink to run), and at a later time they decide that they want them to start at startup, so that they return to settings and turn it back on.

Apparently, this is a pretty common .NET problem that there is no native way to create shortcuts. But, they did not find a very good solution.

Solutions I found / reviewed:

• Create a shortcut instead. Just copy it. This may be a good solution. I cannot depend on the presence of a start link. But, I think, I could possibly create it and save it in the program directory ... This transfers the problem to my installer to create a shortcut with the appropriate path that will be specified during installation.

• Do the https://stackoverflow.com/a/166905/232690 and make use of the COM shell object. I would like to avoid COM. It was also written in 2003. So, I'm not sure how well it will support Vista. I would give him a chance, but I do not have a window with Vista.

• Use the registry instead. This is how I do it now, but I run into problems in Vista. It seems like the general consensus is that the Startup Menu hotkeys are the right way to do this so that my goal is.

In addition, I have to handle the case when a regular user (not an administrator) tries to change this preference. In this case, I need to gracefully fail, or in the case of Vista, let the user enter the administrator password in order to get the administrator security token. The answer, which already takes this case into account properly, would be awesome.

I apologize if this topic has already been considered. I looked through it before publishing.

UPDATE Copying a shortcut created by your installer is the best solution. I will post the code after its completion ... I encountered some obstacles: a) Environment.GetSpecialFolder does not have a link to StartMenu, which was allowed ... But now I am dealing with increasing permissions to copy the file to the correct location. I created a new stackoverflow question for this question: How can I copy a file as a "Standard user"? in Vista (that is, an “administrative choice application”), asking the user for administrator credentials?

Answer 1

As suggested by Joel, the correct solution is to install the shortcut in the program files folder during installation, and then copy the .lnk file to the startup folder. Trying to create a shortcut is harder.

The code below does the following:

• It gets the path to the startup folder of all users. Environment.GetSpecialFolder is quite limited and does not have a link to this folder, and as a result you need to make a system call.
• There are methods for copying and deleting a shortcut.

Ultimately, I also wanted to make sure it was elegantly crafted on Vista, if the user running the application was a regular user, they were asked to enter their credentials. I created a post here on this subject, so check it out here if it matters to you. How to copy a file as a "Standard user"? in Vista (that is, an “administrative choice application”), asking the user for administrator credentials?

using System; using System.Collections.Generic; using System.Text; using System.IO; using System.Security.Principal; using System.Windows.Forms; using System.Runtime.InteropServices; namespace BR.Util { public class StartupLinkUtil { [DllImport("shell32.dll")] static extern bool SHGetSpecialFolderPath(IntPtr hwndOwner, [Out] StringBuilder lpszPath, int nFolder, bool fCreate); public static string getAllUsersStartupFolder() { StringBuilder path = new StringBuilder(200); SHGetSpecialFolderPath(IntPtr.Zero, path, CSIDL_COMMON_STARTUP, false); return path.ToString(); } private static string getStartupShortcutFilename() { return Path.Combine(getAllUsersStartupFolder(), Application.ProductName) + ".lnk"; } public static bool CopyShortcutToAllUsersStartupFolder(string pShortcutName) { bool retVal = false; FileInfo shortcutFile = new FileInfo(pShortcutName); FileInfo destination = new FileInfo(getStartupShortcutFilename()); if (destination.Exists) { // Don't do anything file already exists. -- Potentially overwrite? } else if (!shortcutFile.Exists) { MessageBox.Show("Unable to RunOnStartup because '" + pShortcutName + "' can't be found. Was this application installed properly?"); } else { retVal = copyFile(shortcutFile, destination); } return retVal; } public static bool doesShortcutExistInAllUsersStartupFolder() { return File.Exists(getStartupShortcutFilename()); } public static bool RemoveShortcutFromAllUsersStartupFolder() { bool retVal = false; string path = Path.Combine(getAllUsersStartupFolder(), Application.ProductName) + ".lnk"; if( File.Exists(path) ) { try { File.Delete(path); retVal = true; } catch (Exception ex) { MessageBox.Show(string.Format("Unable to remove this application from the Startup list. Administrative privledges are required to perform this operation.\n\nDetails: SecurityException: {0}", ex.Message), "Update Startup Mode", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error); } } return retVal; } // TODO: Test this in vista to see if it prompts for credentials. public static bool copyFile(FileInfo pSource, FileInfo pDestination) { bool retVal = false; try { File.Copy(pSource.FullName, pDestination.FullName); //MessageBox.Show("File has successfully been added.", "Copy File", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information); retVal = true; } catch (System.Security.SecurityException secEx) { MessageBox.Show(string.Format("SecurityException: {0}", secEx.Message), "Copy File", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error); } catch (UnauthorizedAccessException authEx) { MessageBox.Show(string.Format("UnauthorizedAccessException: {0}", authEx.Message), "Copy File", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error); } catch (Exception ex) { MessageBox.Show(ex.Message, "Copy File", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error); } return retVal; } #region Special Folder constants const int CSIDL_DESKTOP = 0x0000; // <desktop> const int CSIDL_INTERNET = 0x0001; // Internet Explorer (icon on desktop) const int CSIDL_PROGRAMS = 0x0002; // Start Menu\Programs const int CSIDL_CONTROLS = 0x0003; // My Computer\Control Panel const int CSIDL_PRINTERS = 0x0004; // My Computer\Printers const int CSIDL_PERSONAL = 0x0005; // My Documents const int CSIDL_FAVORITES = 0x0006; // <user name>\Favorites const int CSIDL_STARTUP = 0x0007; // Start Menu\Programs\Startup const int CSIDL_RECENT = 0x0008; // <user name>\Recent const int CSIDL_SENDTO = 0x0009; // <user name>\SendTo const int CSIDL_BITBUCKET = 0x000a; // <desktop>\Recycle Bin const int CSIDL_STARTMENU = 0x000b; // <user name>\Start Menu const int CSIDL_MYDOCUMENTS = CSIDL_PERSONAL; // Personal was just a silly name for My Documents const int CSIDL_MYMUSIC = 0x000d; // "My Music" folder const int CSIDL_MYVIDEO = 0x000e; // "My Videos" folder const int CSIDL_DESKTOPDIRECTORY = 0x0010; // <user name>\Desktop const int CSIDL_DRIVES = 0x0011; // My Computer const int CSIDL_NETWORK = 0x0012; // Network Neighborhood (My Network Places) const int CSIDL_NETHOOD = 0x0013; // <user name>\nethood const int CSIDL_FONTS = 0x0014; // windows\fonts const int CSIDL_TEMPLATES = 0x0015; const int CSIDL_COMMON_STARTMENU = 0x0016; // All Users\Start Menu const int CSIDL_COMMON_PROGRAMS = 0x0017; // All Users\Start Menu\Programs const int CSIDL_COMMON_STARTUP = 0x0018; // All Users\Startup const int CSIDL_COMMON_DESKTOPDIRECTORY = 0x0019; // All Users\Desktop const int CSIDL_APPDATA = 0x001a; // <user name>\Application Data const int CSIDL_PRINTHOOD = 0x001b; // <user name>\PrintHood const int CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA = 0x001c; // <user name>\Local Settings\Applicaiton Data (non roaming) const int CSIDL_ALTSTARTUP = 0x001d; // non localized startup const int CSIDL_COMMON_ALTSTARTUP = 0x001e; // non localized common startup const int CSIDL_COMMON_FAVORITES = 0x001f; const int CSIDL_INTERNET_CACHE = 0x0020; const int CSIDL_COOKIES = 0x0021; const int CSIDL_HISTORY = 0x0022; const int CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA = 0x0023; // All Users\Application Data const int CSIDL_WINDOWS = 0x0024; // GetWindowsDirectory() const int CSIDL_SYSTEM = 0x0025; // GetSystemDirectory() const int CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES = 0x0026; // C:\Program Files const int CSIDL_MYPICTURES = 0x0027; // C:\Program Files\My Pictures const int CSIDL_PROFILE = 0x0028; // USERPROFILE const int CSIDL_SYSTEMX86 = 0x0029; // x86 system directory on RISC const int CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILESX86 = 0x002a; // x86 C:\Program Files on RISC const int CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMON = 0x002b; // C:\Program Files\Common const int CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMONX86 = 0x002c; // x86 Program Files\Common on RISC const int CSIDL_COMMON_TEMPLATES = 0x002d; // All Users\Templates const int CSIDL_COMMON_DOCUMENTS = 0x002e; // All Users\Documents const int CSIDL_COMMON_ADMINTOOLS = 0x002f; // All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools const int CSIDL_ADMINTOOLS = 0x0030; // <user name>\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools const int CSIDL_CONNECTIONS = 0x0031; // Network and Dial-up Connections const int CSIDL_COMMON_MUSIC = 0x0035; // All Users\My Music const int CSIDL_COMMON_PICTURES = 0x0036; // All Users\My Pictures const int CSIDL_COMMON_VIDEO = 0x0037; // All Users\My Video const int CSIDL_RESOURCES = 0x0038; // Resource Direcotry const int CSIDL_RESOURCES_LOCALIZED = 0x0039; // Localized Resource Direcotry const int CSIDL_COMMON_OEM_LINKS = 0x003a; // Links to All Users OEM specific apps const int CSIDL_CDBURN_AREA = 0x003b; // USERPROFILE\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\CD Burning const int CSIDL_COMPUTERSNEARME = 0x003d; // Computers Near Me (computered from Workgroup membership) const int CSIDL_FLAG_CREATE = 0x8000; // combine with CSIDL_ value to force folder creation in SHGetFolderPath() const int CSIDL_FLAG_DONT_VERIFY = 0x4000; // combine with CSIDL_ value to return an unverified folder path const int CSIDL_FLAG_DONT_UNEXPAND = 0x2000; // combine with CSIDL_ value to avoid unexpanding environment variables const int CSIDL_FLAG_NO_ALIAS = 0x1000; // combine with CSIDL_ value to insure non-alias versions of the pidl const int CSIDL_FLAG_PER_USER_INIT = 0x0800; // combine with CSIDL_ value to indicate per-user init (eg. upgrade) #endregion } 

While I was writing this solution, I was thinking about how to better deal with a problem that would not require users to escalate sensitive data in order to disable startup at startup. My solution was to check as soon as the program loads, if the user coverage parameter is called RunOnStartup. To determine if the application was launched when loading or logging in, I added an argument to the shortcut, which is added to the "All Users → Startup" folder with the shortcut.

  // Quit the application if the per user setting for RunOnStartup is false. if (args != null && args.Length > 0 && args[0].Contains("startup")) { if (Settings1.Default.RunOnStartup == false) { Application.Exit(); } } 

Answer 2

You can set a shortcut for your application in the folder with the program files, and then simply copy this .lnk file as needed.

Answer 3

I did it with

 using System; using System.Collections.Generic; using System.Linq; using System.Text; using Shell32; using IWshRuntimeLibrary; using System.IO; namespace CMS.data { public class overall { public static void place_shortcut_on_desktop() { string desktopPath = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Desktop) + "\\YourName.lnk"; string shortcutto = System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location; var wsh = new IWshShell_Class(); IWshRuntimeLibrary.IWshShortcut shortcut = wsh.CreateShortcut(desktopPath) as IWshRuntimeLibrary.IWshShortcut; shortcut.TargetPath = shortcutto; shortcut.WorkingDirectory = Directory.GetParent(shortcutto).FullName; shortcut.Save(); } }//class overall } 

Remember "Working Directory", this can cause problems.

you can also add an icon this way, but in my case I did not need it

its my first answer here when stack overflow so thanks really help

Answer 4

I have been using this solution for a while and it seems to work well.

Shelllink