I got a few questions... as always

1. Is there a problem if I make a Desktop folder in \$OEM$\$Docs\All Users\ ?

2. Is there a problem if I make subfolders in Desktop\ containing shortcuts for not yet installed software.

Example: I will install Opera with cmdline.txt and I know that she will be installed in C:\Program Files\Opera. Can I add C:\Program Files\Opera\opera.exe as a shortcut in \$OEM$\$Docs\All Users\Desktop\Programs\?

3. If 2. is not possible (ex.: b/c Windows will not let me make a shortcut of an unexisting application) how can I make a shortcut be created with a batch file/command? So I can make a shortcut of a program after installing it.

P.S. Expect more questions soon...

EDIT: I don't know what happend to the topic. I wrote To be or not to be - $OEM$\$Docs\All Users\Desktop...

No problem at all. I'm doing the same thing by creating shortcuts to programs I'll be adding automatically (like Media Player Classic and Ad-Aware) in my All Users start menu. Seems to work just fine.

No problem at all.

Skyfrog a bow for your fast answer! As I sayd Windows will not let me make a shortcut of an unexisting application. How can I make the shorcuts. A batch command maybe? I dont want my shortcut in Desktop/ I want them in Desktop/Programs! I've put my question wrong :/

Another question. How can I prevent programs from putting their shortcuts on the desktop? Switches? Please don't say switches! Is there a way to delete the shortcuts with a batch command afterwards?

As long as your desktop doesn't contain any valuable files....

RD /S /Q "%SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop"

Works just fine for me... I install all my applications, delete both the "All Users" and personal Desktop & Startmenu, and then recreate the shortcuts I need. But I use KiXtart to create the shortcuts, so I can't help you with that... I do know that for example KiXtart and VBScript can do shortcuts...

As long as your desktop doesn't contain any valuable files....

RD /S /Q "%SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop"

Works just fine for me... I install all my applications, delete both the "All Users" and personal Desktop & Startmenu, and then recreate the shortcuts I need. But I use KiXtart to create the shortcuts, so I can't help you with that... I do know that for example KiXtart and VBScript can do shortcuts...

But if I do so won't that leave me with an absolutly empty desktop (no My Computer, My Documents...)? Can you give me an example script of putting a single shurtcut on the desktop? I'll edit it.

Well, first of all, when a clean Windows XP installation boots up the Desktop IS absolutely empty . You'll first have to configure Windows to show the usual icons.

But what changes when you do so is not that Windows creates actual shortcuts (*.lnk's) but 'virtual' shortcuts. You can't delete them. You can't edit them. And they don't reside in C:\Documents and Settings\*User*\Desktop. So no worries about deleting non-existing shortcuts...

About those scripts:

KiXtart (http://www.kixtart.org)

KiXtart needs only one *.exe of about 250 KB. You can call it from a batch-file like this:

kix32.exe script.kix

And a script to create shortcuts:

Dim $ProgramFiles $ProgramFiles = ExpandEnvironmentVars("%ProgramFiles%")

AddProgramItem($ProgramFiles+"\Lavasoft\Ad-aware 6\Ad-aware.exe", "Remove spyware (Ad-aware)", "", 0, "", 0)
AddProgramItem($ProgramFiles+"\Adobe\Acrobat 6.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe", "Read Portable Document Files (Adobe Reader)", "", 0, "", 0)

Here is KiXtart's online manual: http://www.kixtart.org/manual_index.html

And here's a description of the function AddProgramItem: http://www.scriptlogic.com/Kixtart/htmlhel...programitem.htm

I've never seriously worked with VBScript, but I know it can create shortcuts, and it won't be any harder then KiXtart-scripting. Just search the forums, or google for it.

Good luck!

Sorry for the late reply; I guess your question has been answered now, but what I do instead of trying to create the shortcuts by hand is just install the program (or create a shortcut to it) on an existing installation of XP, and then copy this shortcut to my $OEM$ desktop or start menu folders.