MOD2000: You Cannot Change Default "Start In" Setting for Shortcuts

• Microsoft Office 2000 Developer

SYMPTOMS

No matter what you specify for the Start In property in the Package and Deployment Wizard, the Start In property of a non-Access shortcut is always set to the folder location of the target file. Also, the Start In property of any shortcuts to Access databases always defaults to the folder where Msaccess.exe is located.

CAUSE

In the Package and Deployment Wizard, the page named Start Menu Items allows you to add and make changes to shortcuts that are installed by the package. However, the option for Start In is ignored. For non-Access shortcuts, it is always the folder location of the target file. For Access solutions, it is set to the folder where Msaccess.exe is located.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

1. In Access, create a new database called MyDatabase.mdb.
   
   NOTE: For this demonstration, it is not necessary to create any objects in the database.



2. Open Microsoft Excel, create a new workbook called MyWorkbook.xls, and then save the workbook.



3. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Visual Basic Editor.



4. On the Add-ins menu, click Package and Deployment Wizard.
   
   If the Package and Deployment Wizard command is not available on the Add-ins menu, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base about how to load the wizard:




QQ236143 MOD2000: How to Start the Package and Deployment Wizard

5. In the Package and Deployment Wizard, click Package.



6. Click Next on each page and accept the defaults until you see the page titled Package and Deployment Wizard - Included Files.



7. Click to select the Include Access Runtime check box. (If you are prompted for the location of the Access Runtime files, you can find them on the Office Developer 2000 CD under \ODEtools\V9\AccessRT.)



8. Click Add, and then add the MyDatabase.mdb file to the package.



9. Click Next.



10. On the Installation Options page, change Installation Title to MyTest.



11. Click Next to move to the Package and Deployment Wizard - Start Menu Items page.



12. Change the Start In field for MyWorkbook to $(CommonFiles). Click OK.
    
    NOTE: $(CommonFiles) is a Setup macro that resolves the path to the location of the Common Files folder.



13. Click New Item.



14. In the Start Menu Item Properties dialog box, type the following properties:

    Name: MyDatabase
    
    Target: MyDatabase.mdb
    
    Start In: $(WinPath)

    NOTE: $(WinPath) is a Setup macro that resolves the path to where Windows 95/98 or Windows NT is installed.



15. Click OK, and then continue to click Next (accept all the defaults) until the wizard is finished.



16. On a clean computer (a computer that has a newly installed version of Windows and no other applications), run Setup for the newly create package.



17. When Setup is finished, click Properties on the taskbar.



18. Click Start Menu Programs, and then click Advanced. Windows Explorer opens at the Start Menu folder.



19. Click the Start Menu folder, click the Programs folder, and then click MyTest.



20. Click the MyWorkbook shortcut, and then on the File menu, click Properties.



21. Note that Start In does not have the path to the Common Files folder. It has the path to the folder where MyWorkbook.xls is located.



22. Close the properties for the MyWorkbook shortcut, and then view the properties for the MyDatabase shortcut.



23. Note that for the MyDatabase shortcut, the Start In property is set to the folder where Msaccess.exe is located, not to the path where Windows or Windows NT is installed.

Additional query words: pra

Keywords : kbdta modPDWizard
Version : :
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbbug