App-V to MSIX conversion: StartMenu folder skipped during conversion

Written by Horatiu Vladasel · January 18th, 2024

When you switch from using App-V to MSIX for packaging your applications, you'll notice a big change in how shortcuts work. MSIX doesn't use the old .lnk shortcuts StartMenu you might be used to. Instead, it uses something called “modern application entries.”

These new entries are great because they can do more with the latest technology. But, this change can be a bit tricky, especially when dealing with these modern entries.

In our previous articles, we already discussed two of these limitations and how Advanced Installer can help you bypass them without any hassle when converting an App-V 5 package to MSIX:

A similar scenario occurs with StartMenu shortcut folders during this conversion process.

Understanding StartMenu Shortcut Folders in App-V 5

Those of you familiar with AppV-5 might already know the shortcut folder's configuration is detailed within the AppXManifest.xml file, as illustrated below:

<Shortcuts Enabled="true">
        <Extensions>
          <Extension Category="AppV.Shortcut">
            <Shortcut>
              <File>[{Common Programs}]\MyApp\MyApp.lnk</File>
              <Target>[{ProgramFilesX64}]\MyApp\MyApp.exe</Target>
              <Icon>[{ProgramFilesX64}]\MyApp\MyApp.exe.0.ico</Icon>
              <Arguments />
              <WorkingDirectory>[{ProgramFilesX64}]\MyApp</WorkingDirectory>
              <ShowCommand>1</ShowCommand>
              <ApplicationId>[{ProgramFilesX64}]\MyApp\MyApp.exe</ApplicationId>
            </Shortcut>
          </Extension>
        </Extensions>
</Shortcuts>

Upon installing the converted MSIX package using the MSIX Packaging Tool, you'll notice that the MSIX shortcut gets installed directly under StartMenu, and not under the MyApp folder, as it was with the App-V 5 package.

This happens because that information was skipped during the conversion from App-5 to MSIX as you can see in the AppXManifest.xml below:

<Applications>
    <Application Id="MYAPP" Executable="VFS\ProgramFilesX64\MyApp\MyApp.exe" EntryPoint="Windows.FullTrustApplication">
      <uap:VisualElements BackgroundColor="transparent" DisplayName="MyApp" Square150x150Logo="Assets\MyApp-Square150x150Logo.png" Square44x44Logo="Assets\MyApp-Square44x44Logo.png" Description="MyApp">
        <uap:DefaultTile Wide310x150Logo="Assets\MyApp-Wide310x150Logo.png" Square310x310Logo="Assets\MyApp-Square310x310Logo.png" Square71x71Logo="Assets\MyApp-Square71x71Logo.png" />
      </uap:VisualElements>
      <Extensions>
        <desktop7:Extension Category="windows.shortcut">
          <desktop7:Shortcut File="[{Common Programs}]\MyApp\MyApp.lnk" Icon="[{Package}]\VFS\ProgramFilesX64\MyApp\MyApp.exe" />
        </desktop7:Extension>
      </Extensions>
    </Application>

To fix this issue, you will need to add the VisualGroup attribute to the VisualElements item. This tells the system what name to use for the new folder in the StartMenu. The updated AppXManifest.xml should look like this:

<Applications>
    <Application Id="MYAPP" Executable="VFS\ProgramFilesX64\MyApp\MyApp.exe" EntryPoint="Windows.FullTrustApplication">
      <uap:VisualElements BackgroundColor="transparent" DisplayName="MyApp" Square150x150Logo="Assets\MyApp-Square150x150Logo.png" Square44x44Logo="Assets\MyApp-Square44x44Logo.png" Description="MyApp" VisualGroup="MyApp">
        <uap:DefaultTile Wide310x150Logo="Assets\MyApp-Wide310x150Logo.png" Square310x310Logo="Assets\MyApp-Square310x310Logo.png" Square71x71Logo="Assets\MyApp-Square71x71Logo.png" />
      </uap:VisualElements>
      <Extensions>
        <desktop7:Extension Category="windows.shortcut">
          <desktop7:Shortcut File="[{Common Programs}]\MyApp\MyApp.lnk" Icon="[{Package}]\VFS\ProgramFilesX64\MyApp\MyApp.exe" />
        </desktop7:Extension>
      </Extensions>
    </Application>

Advanced Installer

If you're using Advanced Installer, you're in luck! It takes care of these details for you.

Ready to streamline your conversion process? Try Advanced Installer today and experience hassle-free MSIX conversions.
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When you look at the “Application Details” page, you'll see that the “Visual Group” field is already filled out.

After the conversion, you'll see that the MSIX package puts the shortcut in the right place in the StartMenu, just like in the App-V 5 package.

Conclusion

Moving from App-V 5 to MSIX helps update your packages to a newer format without having to start from scratch.

Although some parts of this process can be a bit complex, using a tool like Advanced Installer simplifies it. Understanding these tools can make your switch to MSIX smooth, keeping your apps up-to-date with the latest packaging technology.

Experience the full capabilities for yourself. Start your 30-day full feature trial of Advanced Installer and streamline your MSIX conversions today.

Written by

Horatiu Vladasel

Horatiu is a Software Packager/Sequencer with over 10 years experience, who has worked as a Software Packager at IBM and is currently offering software packaging services to companies such as BT or Nationwide.