ClickOnce application does not start from from desktop shortcut but start from a command line

2019-06-14

Question

_{Friday, June 14, 2019 12:43 PM}

Hello,

I am facing a very odd problem with 2 ClickOnce application at a customer site.

The application install fine and they refuse to launch when double clicking the Desktop Shortcut.

The only thing that happens is briefly the dialog showing the computer connecting to the internet to check program requirements.

The dialog closes afterwards and nothing else happens

I have also tried to start the exe file by navigating with Windows Explorer to %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Apps\2.0\....\..\app.exe

The result is the same, nothing besides the online check

But if I open a Command Prompt (cmd.exe) and cd to the directory where app.exe resides (%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Apps\2.0\....\..\ I can start App.exe from the command line.

Any suggestion about what is preventing the app to be started from Windows Explorer / Desktop?

Thanks

All replies (6)

_{Wednesday, June 19, 2019 8:36 AM ✅Answered}

Meanwhile, please refre to the following link which may help:

https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/958afebb-4095-453f-ba3f-3b2d8aaedd24/unable-to-run-installed-program-from-clickonce-created-shortcut-on-windows-8-consumer-preview?forum=winformssetup

Thanks a lot for the above link. It contained a useful work around.

Basically the problem is resolved by locating the exe file, opening the properties in explorer. At the bottom of the first Tab "General" there is a message about security. On the right side a check box that allows removing the security problem (Mark of the Web aka MOTW).

Simply click on te check box and close the properties.

Now the shortcut to the clickonce app works.

But why is this problem popped up in windows 10 (after some recent updates). Could it be a regression?

_{Friday, June 14, 2019 4:10 PM}

when you don't change into the directory: can you still start the app from command line (with full path),
or do you then get the same problem as when staring from explorer?

_{Monday, June 17, 2019 9:06 AM}

I will test this as soon as I have a machine available and write back

_{Tuesday, June 18, 2019 7:35 AM}

Hi,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft TechNet Forum.

The shortcuts to ClickOnce applications are not your typical *.lnk files, they are .appref-ms files. To pass parameters to the ClickOnce application you must invoke the appref.ms file either from the command line with parameters. Please refer to the following link to launch ClickOnce application with parameters from a shortcut:

https://alexfeinberg.wordpress.com/2014/12/07/launching-clickonce-application-with-parameters-from-a-shortcut/

Note: This is a third-party link and we do not have any guarantees on this website. This is just for your convenience. And Microsoft does not make any guarantees about the content.

Meanwhile, please refre to the following link which may help:

https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/958afebb-4095-453f-ba3f-3b2d8aaedd24/unable-to-run-installed-program-from-clickonce-created-shortcut-on-windows-8-consumer-preview?forum=winformssetup

Best regards,

Hurry

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_{Wednesday, June 19, 2019 8:13 AM}

when you don't change into the directory: can you still start the app from command line (with full path),
or do you then get the same problem as when staring from explorer?

Yes, I can launch it from c:\ my passing the full path to the executable

_{Thursday, June 20, 2019 8:35 AM}

Hi,

Thank you for your feedback.

First, I'm glad to hear that your problem was solved successfully.

Please mark the reply as an answer so that people in need of help in the future can refer to it.

This question pops up in win10 yet to be analyzed.

Wish you a happy life.