Working with Folders

With the File System editor, you can specify the folder structure for your installed application on the target machine. You can add three types of folders to your installer project:

• Microsoft® Windows® special folders, which cannot be moved or renamed. Included are the following folders: Windows Folder, Windows System Folder, User's Start Menu, Common Files Folder, User's Desktop, User's Favorites Folder, User's Application Data Folder, User's Personal Data Folder, User's Send-To Menu, User's Template Folder, and Root Folder.
  
  
• Custom special folders, which you create. They can be renamed.
  
  
• Arbitrary folders, which you create. They can be both moved and renamed.

To add Windows special folders

1. In the Project Explorer window, expand the Target Machine node under your installer project.
   
   
2. Double-click File System.
   
   
3. Right-click any folder in the left pane of the File System editor.

   Important   No matter which folder you right-click, the special folder will be added to the root node (labeled File System on Target Machine) in the File System editor. When the application is installed, special folders are placed on the target machine according to Windows requirements.

4. In the context menu, highlight Add Special Folder and then select one of the Windows special folders listed.

   Note To use the Custom option on this menu, see To add custom special folders.

   The File System editor displays the special folder you added on the root node of the target machine.

To add custom special folders

1. In the Project Explorer window, expand the Target Machine node under your installer project.
   
   
2. Double-click File System.
   
   
3. Right-click any folder in the left pane of the File System editor.

   Important   No matter which folder you right-click, the custom special folder will be added to the root node (labeled File System on Target Machine) in the File System editor. When the application is installed, special folders are placed on the target machine according to Windows requirements.

   You cannot move custom special folders, although you can rename them.

4. In the context menu, highlight Add Special Folder and then select Custom.

   The File System Editor displays the special folder you added, labeled NEWFOLDER, on the root node of the target machine.

   Note   If you add more custom special folders without changing any custom special folder names, they will be named sequentially as NEWFOLDER2, NEWFOLDER3, NEWFOLDER4, and so on.

5. You can rename the new custom special folder by typing over the default NEWFOLDER name shown.

   Important   The maximum length of a custom special folder name is 52 characters. You can only use neutral (English-language) alphabetic characters, numbers, or the underline (_) character in customer special folder names; you cannot use localized characters.

To add arbitrary folders

1. In the Project Explorer window, expand the Target Machine node under your installer project.
   
   
2. Double-click File System.
   
   
3. In the left pane of the File System editor, right-click the folder under which you want to add a new folder.

   Important   You cannot add an arbitrary folder to the root node of the target machine (labeled File System on Target Machine in the File System editor).

4. Select Add Folder from the context menu.
   
   
5. Name your new folder:
   • Press Enter to accept the New Folder name shown.
     
     
   • Change the New Folder name shown by typing over it, and then press Enter.

   The File System editor displays the new folder beneath the parent folder you selected.

To move arbitrary folders

You can move arbitrary folders with drag-and-drop operations in the File System editor. This changes their location on the target machine.