Shortcut with environment variable

[Bâshrat the Sneaky]

The thing is: RunOnceEX installs Mozilla and Firefox through a 7zip SFX archive, which saves space and is easy in use. But I want shortcuts on the desktop. And I'd like the shortcut to refer to %programfiles%\... , this doesn't work as environment variables aren't supported in shortcuts...

Is there a work-around?

[sleepnmojo]

It should work. Maybe the 7z archive is messing it up. I made an NSIS installer for mozilla. You could do the same, and make a shortcut with the variables.

[Bâshrat the Sneaky]

It should work.  Maybe the 7z archive is messing it up.  I made an NSIS installer for mozilla.  You could do the same, and make a shortcut with the variables.

hmmm... Didn't think of that; didn't think of making an installer myself Thanks for the idea, I'll try it tomorrow!

[Alanoll]

you should be able to use variables in shortcuts, unless maybe you're making them through 7zip. A normal shortcut, supports variables.

[WwTIPPYwW]

FYI to those that don't know - to see the variables that available - type SET at a cmd prompt.

[sleepnmojo]

FYI to those that don't know - to see the variables that available - type SET at a cmd prompt.

There are also a couple more that you won't see there. type set /? at the bottom of all that info are a couple more.

[Guest zippy]

right-click on the shortcut of notepad in start menu, then open properties, you can find 3 env.variables.

but env.vars on RunOnce are not all available as ready system. you can make a dump during RunOnce, SET>%SystemDrive%\env.log, to find out which env.vars available that time.

.\Util.EXE -y -o"%ProgramFiles%"
.\UtilLink.EXE -y -o"%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Desktop"

that's what i do in RunOnce, they are both 7-zip console sfx archive.

first one extracts some program executables.

2nd one extracts shortcuts for those programs. all shortcuts using %ProgramFiles% to refer to where it is.

maybe you just forgot to enclose output directory with double quotes...

[mdes]

I wrote the following script to change all the shortcut to point to %ProgramFiles%: (change the folder in the Find call)

Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell") 
Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

kProgFiles = "\Program Files\"
lProgFilesLen = Len(kProgFiles)
EnvProgramFiles = "%ProgramFiles%"

Find "FILESCD\$OEM$\$1\InstallFolders", "lnk"

Function Find (strPath, strFileExt)
	Dim MyDir, MyFile, MySubDir

	If strFileExt = Empty Then Exit Function
	strFileExt = Ucase(strFileExt)

	Set MyDir = fso.GetFolder(strPath)

	For Each MyFile In MyDir.Files
  If UCase(Right(MyFile.Name, 3)) = strFileExt Then ChangePath strPath & "\" & MyFile.Name
	Next

	For Each MySubDir In MyDir.SubFolders
  Find strPath & "\" & MySubDir.Name, strFileExt
	Next
End Function

Function ChangePath(OldName)
    NewName = OldName & ".NEW.lnk"
    
    Set ExistLink = fso.GetFile(OldName) 
    Set NewLink = WshShell.CreateShortcut(NewName) 
    NewLink.Save 
    ExistLink.Copy NewName, True
    
    Set NewLink = WshShell.CreateShortcut(NewName) 
    NewTargetPath = NewLink.TargetPath
    NewIconLocation = NewLink.IconLocation
    NewWorkingDirectory = NewLink.WorkingDirectory
    NewArguments = NewLink.Arguments
    NewDescription = NewLink.Description
    
    NewLink.TargetPath = ChangeProgFiles(NewTargetPath)
    NewLink.IconLocation = ChangeProgFiles(NewIconLocation)
    NewLink.WorkingDirectory = ChangeProgFiles(NewWorkingDirectory)
    NewLink.Arguments = ChangeProgFiles(NewArguments)
    NewLink.Description = ChangeProgFiles(NewDescription)
    
    NewLink.Save
    ExistLink.Delete
    fso.MoveFile NewName, OldName
End Function

Function ChangeProgFiles(sPath)
    ChangeProgFiles = sPath
    If Mid(sPath,3,lProgFilesLen) = kProgFiles Then ChangeProgFiles = EnvProgramFiles & Mid(sPath,2 + lProgFilesLen)
'   MsgBox "Old  =" & sPath & vbCrLf & "New=" & ChangeProgFiles
End Function

This .vbschanges all x:\Program Files to %ProgramFiles% (in TargetPath, IconLocation, WorkingDirectory, Arguments and Description)

[Bâshrat the Sneaky]

right-click on the shortcut of notepad in start menu, then open properties, you can find 3 env.variables.

but env.vars on RunOnce are not all available as ready system. you can make a dump during RunOnce, SET>%SystemDrive%\env.log, to find out which env.vars available that time.

.\Util.EXE -y -o"%ProgramFiles%"
.\UtilLink.EXE -y -o"%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Desktop"

that's what i do in RunOnce, they are both 7-zip console sfx archive.

first one extracts some program executables.

2nd one extracts shortcuts for those programs. all shortcuts using %ProgramFiles% to refer to where it is.

maybe you just forgot to enclose output directory with double quotes...

This was EXACTLY what I was looking for! Thank you!

(Just for the record, why doesn't Windows have a built-in alike feature?)