I managed to speak with both Jim and Justin at Installshield about my question. (Both, good, GOOD, people.) Collectively, here is the answer to my question: Unfortunately, once the InstallScript has been compiled and built into the .msi, it is no longer accessible from within the .msi. The conversion wizard simply looks at the MSI database tables and constructs an .ism from this, but the setup.rul itself is not part of the msi tables. At this time, we do not have any tools to decompile the compiled script. InstallShield support ROCKS ! ... View more

David, from Installshield suggested the following, which worked perfectly. Choose "New EXE (With a path referencing a directory) Working directory: ... View more

Excellent ! That is EXACTLY the solution I needed. Right click on the CA and choose the CA Wizard. Click the "Next" button until you arrive at the "Additional Options" screen. I had chosen "Ignore exit code". I changed it to "Check exit code". That setting, in combination with return ERROR_INSTALL_FAILURE; generates the SetupSucessError dialog. Which is EXACTLY what I was looking for. You are the greatest ! Happy Easter ! ... View more

One additional piece of information from a verbose log. CustomAction StrongNameNotFound returned actual error code 1603 but will be translated to success due to continue marking StrongNameNotFound is the name of my CA. I wonder what "COntinue" marking means and how I might do anythng about this. ... View more

In case there is an interest. First, thanks to "HookEm" for his post. After working with this issue over the weekend, I found the following to be true: I have a test application that is installed for "All Users". I install this application on a 64 bit version of Windows 8 pc as the "Administrator". In addition to the Administrator, I have three other user accounts created on the pc. This MSI creates a folder named "Test App" in the following location: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs. This MSI also creates a shortcut named "Notepad", (pointing to Notepad.exe) inside of the above "Test App" folder. Once the installation has completed "Test App" is visible on the "All Apps" screen for all users of this Windows 8 pc. I now log in to the Windows 8 pc as the Administrator. Navigate to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Test App". Change the name of the shortcut from "Notepad" to "Notepad2". Immediacy, "Notepad2" shows up on the “All Apps” screen for all users. So, changing the name of the shortcut seems to be the same in Windows 8 as it is with Windows 7. My efforts however, were somewhat disappointing when I tried to follow the same procedure with the shortcuts "folder" name. I navigated to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs". Renamed the folder from "Test App" to "Test App2". BUT .......... The "All Apps" screen, for all of my user accounts, continued to show the old folder name. And, If I right clicked on the shortcut, (Notepad2) and click on "Open file location", I receive an error dialog, indicating that Windows 8 couldn't find the original folder name. So, it kinda, sorta looks as if the folder names that appear on the ALL Apps screen, aren't being updated dynamically as the shortcut names are. Now that I know how to rename a shortcut, I'm trying to figure out how to get the All Apps folder “names”, to change, once the folder itself, it renamed. As it turns out, my Client first asked that I rename an existing shortcut, but they have since asked that I rename a folder instead and leave the shortcut name alone. I can certainly rename the folder. But I am not able to het Windows 8 to recognize the renamed folder. I wonder if there is some command that might be executed that asked Windows 8 to take a fresh look at items listed on the All Apps screen. ... View more

Thank you so much for your reply. I do appreciate your interst. And your time in replying. If I create shortcuts via an MSI, they do appear on the All Apps screen. And, If I set the shell property for the shortcut via the UI, I can also prevent them from being pinned to the Windows 8 "start" screen. Just to confirm: I opened "and closed" an incident with IS about setting this shell property via InstallScript and they told me it is not possible at this time. If I install an App via one of my MSI's Sure enough it shows up on the "All Apps" screen. However, if I go to the locations you referenced and remove the folder and shortcuts installed by my .msi, my app still continues to show up on the "All Apps" screen. I did a search of the pc for all references to my apps folder name. And the only place I was able to find references were in a number of encrypted files. It is very confusing. (At least for me.) Here is what else I did to try and find the source of what appears on the All Apps screen in Windows 8. First, so that I can "see", on my Windows 8 pc, exactly what I "see", on a Windows 7 pc, installed a copy of Start8, on my Windows 8 machine. The “free” version expires every 30 day. So I opted to purchase a license for a one-time cost of $4.99. For my money, and sanity, Stat8 is a must for a Windows 8 desktop. Anyway, at that point, I have a "start" button on my Windows 8 machine with a Menu that looks exactly like, what I have on a Windows 7 pc. Now. I switch to the Desktop interface. I go to: C:\Users\All Users\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs. I create a folder named “test folder” and I create a shortcut to Notepad.exe inside it. I click on the Start8 “start” button, and I "see" the folder named "test folder" with the shortcut to Notepad.exe under it and offset to the right. Exactly how I would it expect it to look. And just for grins and giggles, I go to: C:\Users\All Users\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs. And I see “test folder” with the shortcut to Notepad.exe inside of it. Then, I switch to the Windows 8 interface. I right click and select "All apps". However, I do NOT see, anything named "new folder", nor do I see the shortcut that points to Notepad.exe anywhere. Then ..... I switch back to the Desktop interface. Go to C:\Users\ \AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs I create a new folder named "test folder 2". I create a shortcut, pointing to "Wordpad.exe" inside of "test folder 2" I click on the "start" button Select "All Programs" And I "see” my folder named "test folder" AND my new folder named "test folder 2" along with their respective shortcuts. Just as I expected. Good so far.... Then ..... I switch to the Windows 8 interface. I right click and select "All apps". However, I do NOT see, anything named "new folder", nor “now folder 2”. Based on the above then, I’m thinking that Windows 8, populates the “All Apps” screen, from something other than, any of the folders referenced above. And THAT location, is what I am looking to identify. I have just built a Windows 2012 server. (I chose the UI option.) And I’m going to see if the behavior is identical. Ray in Wisconsin ... View more

Thanks for the replies folks. I believe that I have things working perfectly now. In that ......... When I install my applications, NOTHING is pinned to the "Start" screen. And, My application group name and the related shortcut icons, all show up on the "All Apps" screen. This was possible after setting the shortcuts "Shell" property to: KeyName: The actual value, doesn’t seem to matter, except that it needs to be unique if the app creates more than one shortcut. In my case the KeyName was generated by IS. So I didn't need to make one up. Property: {9F4C2855-9F79-4B39-A8D0-E1D42DE1D5F3}, 12 Value: 1 The applications that I have added the Shell property to, install perfectly on both 32 bit and 64 bit versions of XP, Vista and Windows 7 as well as Windows 8. And they also work on my Windows 2003, 2008 and 2012 servers. A GOOD thing as I was kinda worried that the Shell property might both the other OS's in some way. Dosen't seem to be the case. So, methinks the Shell property seemed to indeed, be the ticket to addressing my issue. I DID learn that IS does not have a way to set the Shell property if one uses InstallScript to create shortcuts. I have 2 apps that had InstallScript custom actions that create groups and shortcuts. I opened an incident with the good folks at IS and they told me at present, InstallScript can't do it. So I changed those apps so as to NOT use InstallScript to created program groups or shortcuts. And they work great. Thanks again everyone for your posts. I’s always nice to learn that one is not alone. ... View more

Have been able to resolve this yet ? I am having the same issue. I have tried, (based on a suggestion from IS and as shown in the Windows 8 SDK) setting the Shortcut Shell properties to: Property: {9F4C2855-9F79-4B39-A8D0-E1D42DE1D5F3}, 12 Value: 1 No errors during installation, but the shortcut is still pinned to the Start screen for everyone. So, I was wondering if you have been able to engineer a solution since your last post. (That you might be good enough to share.) ... View more