Windows 8: Unpin from Start or add to search

Question

Hi everybody

First of all, excuse my bad english!

I have an installer (written in Delphi) which installs some company software.
We always create a Start Menu entry for our software (C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Company Name\...)
We have one main software an 10 software utilities. (= 11 Links)

In Windows 8 instead of a start menu link there are automatically created 11 tiles on the metro start screen.
We don't want to have 11 tiles there! Only one should be there for the main software.
If I don't create a link for the utilities, then they are not on the metro start screen! But then I can't find them when I type the program name on metro desktop!

How can I archieve, that some software isn't on the metro screen, but can be found on All Apps? (Programmatically)

a) How to programmatically unpin a specific software? (Dll Call, registry....) Then it wouldn't be visible as a tile, but it's on All Apps and I can find it!
b) If a) not possible, how do I "add" some software to the All Apps, but not as a tile on the metro start screen?
c) Or if it's not possible to add it to the All Apps: How to add it to the search on metro desk generally?

It would be very helpful to make this automatically. Otherwise we have to manually unpin our utilities on about 2'000 computers in the near future!

Many thanks for any help!
Claudio

Answer 1

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/windowsgeneraldevelopmentissues/thread/11fa666b-7b5c-4d38-b5c3-81e88528cfd3

It seems that now there's no method to control the pinning when in installation.

And for the search part, you can configure the system environment variables, then you can type the file name and enter to execute it: 

 

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Mike Zhang[MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us

Answer 2

Hi Mike

Thank you very much for your reply.
I'll try that tomorrow, now I've got some other things to do :-)

But that's a very good idea!
Thanks!

Kind regards
Claudio

Answer 3

You're welcome!

Have a good day!

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Mike Zhang[MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us

Answer 4

There is a good installer (written in Deplhi) - InnoSetup. It allows to create unpinnable shortcuts (see [Icons] section).

-- pa

Answer 5

Hi Pavel

I (we) know InnoSetup and we are already using it. We didn't know about the unpinnable option! Thanks!

But we have several older software (173 piece) which we don't want to change. But they are all installed at once by one script! And in this script, we change now the environment variable and delete our own links to solve this problem.

But thank you for this hint. We can use this in new software!
Best regards
Claudio

Answer 6

Hi Mike

I tried that, but it don't work!
I added first C:\ProgramData\CompanyName\_Search\;C:\Program Files (x86)\CompanyName\ProductName\

In the folder C:\Program Files (x86)\CompanyName\ProductName there is the original .EXE file. (XYZ.exe)
In the folder C:\ProgramData\CompanyName\_Search I added a shortcut to the previous mentioned path/file.

Then I rebooted Windows 8 to ensure, that all Environment variables are read.
But when I then type in Metro the .Exe Name (XYZ.exe) then Windows will find this file only, if I type the whole filename!
Links aren't found. Only Exe files :-(

Whats wrong?
The search should work with partial filenames and with links....
Otherwise I need some code to unpin a tile...
 

Claudio

Answer 7

It seems that when you have not pin shortcut, it will search for file, this is why it need the complete name.

I also use the full name to search it.

And about the Inno Setup product's that thing, I think it is also use this PreventPinning, before I post my first post, I also test it with ORCA edit the msi file, but it also cannot give me the expected function work for the Win8 Metro screen pin tiles, so I think there maybe no way to do it, at least there's no a document said we can control it.

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Mike Zhang[MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us

Answer 8

Hi Mike

Bad news :-(

We think about to create a separate program only for searching our products (with wildcards)...

Probably, if I only prevent from pinning, then Metro wouldn't find this software..
It would be nice, if we could just unpin a specified tile with some code...

If you have some other inputs, it would be fine, if you post it here.

Thanks for your reply.
Kind regards
Claudio

Answer 9

Any way, now it seems the pin cannot be controlled at installation time or in codes.

And it will need you use the full file name if your file is not pined to metro screen.

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Mike Zhang[MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us

Answer 10

An idea. Dunno if it works in Metro but it does elsewhere in Windows,

 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths

 

and you can set any string to start any program. If you add ..exe to the name keyname you don't need to type the extension.

 

ie

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\RenameWindow.exe

 

Typing RenameWindows will start whatever command is specified.

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"Mike Dos Zhang" wrote in message news:d0ef1d2e-37c9-4919-a658-7404eafa6425...

Any way, now it seems the pin cannot be controlled at installation time or in codes.

And it will need you use the full file name if your file is not pined to metro screen.

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Mike Zhang[MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us

Answer 11

Hi David

Unfortunately this is not working this way, I need it!

E.g. from Windows 7:
- I have a program in C:\Program Files (x86)\Company\Product\XYZ.exe
- Then I have a shortcut to this exe file: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Company\XYZ Version V1.7 (12345).lnk

In the link name there is not only the program name but also the program Version and our internal product number!
Now in Windows 7 I can type in the search only a partial string of this shortcut. E.g. I type only the product number, or only a part of the name.... And Windows is showing me all possible links in the start menu.

We don't have any links on our Desktop, because we have 173 programs / shortcuts like my description above! That would be to much!

Now we want to have "the same" in Windows 8. The 173 shortcuts should NOT be on the Metro but they should be on the All Apps that we can type the partial name or product number etc.

With this hint in the registry, I need to type the whole name. And I only can add a Folder directly to an exe file. But in the exe name, there aren't all informations I need. Therefore we made the link with all informations!

I need a possibility to add some links to the All Apps but not to the Metro start Screen, or I have to tweak the Metro search that it will also find my programs with the shortcut description.

I think it's very painful, that it should not be possible to programmatically pin or unpin a tile.

I installed some third party Software on Windows 8. And the first thing I had to do after this installation, was to unpin 15 tiles on the Metro screen. That is VERY frustrating.

It MUST be possible!
Kind regards
Claudio

Answer 12

I have two ideas.

 

The control panel in Vista and I presume later have search terms. Using Command Objects and specifing search terms you may be able to use it.

 

In Windows 8 I add the old start menu folders to the taskbar and have a start menu of sorts (2 actually - one per user Start and 1 per machine Start). I thought I noticed many programs that doesn't appear on the Metro Start screen. I won't reboot into Win 8 to find out, but if you copy shortcuts into the old start menu's folder are they then searchable but not on Start.

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"Veronesi Garrett" wrote in message news:520386bf-d582-4a17-a287-8c5d08e8ece3...

Hi David

Unfortunately this is not working this way, I need it!

E.g. from Windows 7:
- I have a program in C:\Program Files (x86)\Company\Product\XYZ.exe
- Then I have a shortcut to this exe file: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Company\XYZ Version V1.7 (12345).lnk

In the link name there is not only the program name but also the program Version and our internal product number!
Now in Windows 7 I can type in the search only a partial string of this shortcut. E.g. I type only the product number, or only a part of the name.... And Windows is showing me all possible links in the start menu.

We don't have any links on our Desktop, because we have 173 programs / shortcuts like my description above! That would be to much!

Now we want to have "the same" in Windows 8. The 173 shortcuts should NOT be on the Metro but they should be on the All Apps that we can type the partial name or product number etc.

With this hint in the registry, I need to type the whole name. And I only can add a Folder directly to an exe file. But in the exe name, there aren't all informations I need. Therefore we made the link with all informations!

I need a possibility to add some links to the All Apps but not to the Metro start Screen, or I have to tweak the Metro search that it will also find my programs with the shortcut description.

I think it's very painful, that it should not be possible to programmatically pin or unpin a tile.

I installed some third party Software on Windows 8. And the first thing I had to do after this installation, was to unpin 15 tiles on the Metro screen. That is VERY frustrating.

It MUST be possible!
Kind regards
Claudio

Answer 13

Forgot to add links for idea 1

 

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/cc144188(v=vs.85).aspx

 

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb757044.aspx

 

 

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"DavidMCandy" wrote in message news:e5ae467b-293a-466a-aba5-a40bdf778fa6...

I have two ideas.

 

The control panel in Vista and I presume later have search terms. Using Command Objects and specifing search terms you may be able to use it.

 

In Windows 8 I add the old start menu folders to the taskbar and have a start menu of sorts (2 actually - one per user Start and 1 per machine Start). I thought I noticed many programs that doesn't appear on the Metro Start screen. I won't reboot into Win 8 to find out, but if you copy shortcuts into the old start menu's folder are they then searchable but not on Start.

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"Veronesi Garrett" wrote in message news:520386bf-d582-4a17-a287-8c5d08e8ece3...

Hi David

Unfortunately this is not working this way, I need it!

E.g. from Windows 7:
- I have a program in C:\Program Files (x86)\Company\Product\XYZ.exe
- Then I have a shortcut to this exe file: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Company\XYZ Version V1.7 (12345).lnk

In the link name there is not only the program name but also the program Version and our internal product number!
Now in Windows 7 I can type in the search only a partial string of this shortcut. E.g. I type only the product number, or only a part of the name.... And Windows is showing me all possible links in the start menu.

We don't have any links on our Desktop, because we have 173 programs / shortcuts like my description above! That would be to much!

Now we want to have "the same" in Windows 8. The 173 shortcuts should NOT be on the Metro but they should be on the All Apps that we can type the partial name or product number etc.

With this hint in the registry, I need to type the whole name. And I only can add a Folder directly to an exe file. But in the exe name, there aren't all informations I need. Therefore we made the link with all informations!

I need a possibility to add some links to the All Apps but not to the Metro start Screen, or I have to tweak the Metro search that it will also find my programs with the shortcut description.

I think it's very painful, that it should not be possible to programmatically pin or unpin a tile.

I installed some third party Software on Windows 8. And the first thing I had to do after this installation, was to unpin 15 tiles on the Metro screen. That is VERY frustrating.

It MUST be possible!
Kind regards
Claudio

Answer 14

Hi David

For the second idea:

If I copy my shortcuts into the "old" start menu path, then they are searchable and on the All Apps page AND on the Metro start Screen :-(
If I manually unpin them from Metro start Screen, then remove them from the old start menu path and copy it again into the old start menu path, then they don't appear on the Metro! Windows remembers, that it's unpinned! But I have to unpin manually :-(

Your first idea:
I'll take a look later.

Best regards
Claudio

Answer 15

Your first idea seems to bee a bit more difficult.
I'm not a programmer. I learned to write Delphi scripts by myself. I only wrote an internal Software deployment with an SQLite database.
I install 173 Software packages unnattend.

I know how to copy/run some files, or how to Change/Add some registry keys. Or to make some DLL calls. Or to programmatically change the background image for all company PCs.

But I think - if it's so difficult to unpin a tile or to add something to the search - that I write a small programm which is only searching for our products with wildcards. That's easy.

And then, I pin only this program to the Metro Screen.
The users have to run my programm and then they can search.

But how to explain the users, that in Windows 7 it's working with Windows internal tools (start menu search) and in Windows 8 they have to use our own programm..... They are going to killing me.... or to twit...

Claudio

Answer 16

I can tell you why you can't access pinning/unpinning is that all previous attempts to give user configured spaces such as Start Menu programatic access were abused by most programs.

 

See http://blogs.msdn.com/b/oldnewthing/archive/2003/09/03/54760.aspx
for one of many similar articles.

 

Good luck.

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"Veronesi Garrett" wrote in message news:87228168-7817-4d28-b489-a3c3b66f07f5...

Your first idea seems to bee a bit more difficult.
I'm not a programmer. I learned to write Delphi scripts by myself. I only wrote an internal Software deployment with an SQLite database.
I install 173 Software packages unnattend.

I know how to copy/run some files, or how to Change/Add some registry keys. Or to make some DLL calls. Or to programmatically change the background image for all company PCs.

But I think - if it's so difficult to unpin a tile or to add something to the search - that I write a small programm which is only searching for our products with wildcards. That's easy.

And then, I pin only this program to the Metro Screen.
The users have to run my programm and then they can search.

But how to explain the users, that in Windows 7 it's working with Windows internal tools (start menu search) and in Windows 8 they have to use our own programm..... They are going to killing me.... or to twit...

Claudio

Answer 17

Yes, if the programs misuse this technique, then it's not good!

But Windows allow to copy hundreds of shortcuts into this folder:
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
Or here: C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

And all of these shortcuts are automatically pinned to the Metro. In this case Windows is spamming itself.
And the user has to manually unpin every Software.....

But I see, it's difficult. Probably I have to write our own search program.
Or we don't use Windows 8 and buy again 2'000 licenses of Windows 7..... I'll speak with our internal IT.

Best regards
Claudio

Answer 18

Hi Mike: do you know how to get all the metro start screen apps list?  i wanna iterate all the apps on start screen.  Any api to suport this? thanks