Inno Setup Start menu uninstall shortcut is not shown on Windows 10

Question

I've got an issue that seems to be specific to Windows 10 with the Start menu uninstall shortcut I create in my setup. The shortcut is simply not shown.
However, others shortcuts I create are shown as well...

Here is the value for DefaultGroupName:

DefaultGroupName={#MyAppPublisher}\MyCompany\MySoftwareName

Here are my entries for shortcuts in [Icons] section:

[Icons]
Name: "{group}\{#MyAppName} {#MyAppVersion}"; Filename: "{app}\MyExeName.exe"; WorkingDir: "{app}"
Name: "{commondesktop}\{#MyAppName} {#MyAppVersion}"; Filename: "{app}\MyExeName.exe"; WorkingDir: "{app}"; IconFilename: "{app}\MyExeName.exe"
Name: "{userappdata}\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\{#MyAppName} {#MyAppVersion}"; Filename: "{app}\MyExeName.exe"; WorkingDir: "{app}"; Tasks: quicklaunchicon
Name: "{group}\{cm:UninstallProgram, {#MyAppName} {#MyAppVersion}}"; Filename: "{uninstallexe}"; WorkingDir: "{app}"; IconFilename: "{app}\Remove.ico"
Name: "{group}\{cm:SHORTCUT_SAV}"; Filename: "{code:GetDataDir}"

I've tried a simple entry too:

Name: "{group}\Uninstall My Program"; Filename: "{uninstallexe}"

But shortcut is still not shown.

Note that this works fine in any previous version of Windows...

Do you have any idea on this? I've search but I have not found any topic related to this specific problem.

Answer 1

Windows 8 and newer employs lots of optimizations to the Start menu to reduce number of items shown.

For example it won't display two shortcuts pointing to the same target, no matter, if the shortcuts have different labels or are placed in different menu folders.

You are probably a victim of such optimization.

Anyway, what you are trying to do is against Windows guidelines:

• You should not use Start menu folders in Windows 8 and newer.
• You should not add a shortcut to an uninstaller to the Start menu, on any version of Windows. The user should go to Control panel or Settings app to uninstall a program (that's also a possible explanation, why the shortcut is not shown).