Windows XP install nit: missing new program highlight on start menu

[jsyjr]

Setting up a new PC: XP Pro, SP2.

Installed in this order:
- SpywareBlaster
- SpyBotSD
- Bazaar using standalone installer

Noticed that on start menu SpywareBlaster and SpyBotSD are highlighted as new programs but Bazaar is not.

[Alexander Belchenko (bialix)]

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[Alexander Belchenko (bialix)]

Thank you for your report. I'm actually never take attention for this effect. I'll try to reproduce this and decide what we could do to make it shines.

[Mark Hammond (mhammond)]

As far as I know, there is no API available for this - Windows manages this highlighting itself and doesn't expose any way to control it (other than to disable it completely)

[John A Meinel (jameinel)]

Is the final file installed as bzr.exe? I thought Windows guessed at which entries based on their extension, etc.
In my experience, Windows gets it as wrong as it gets it right. Highlighting things like config programs that I never plan on running, missing executables that I *do* run, and not clearing out the highlight if I run the program via something like a desktop icon.

If someone can figure out the magic invocation to get XP to notice, I would be happy to use it.

[Mark Hammond (mhammond)]

http://blogs.msdn.com/oldnewthing/archive/2007/06/11/3215739.aspx describes things fairly well, but is also what gives me the impression it is out of our control - but I haven't followed all the references.

[John A Meinel (jameinel)]

That specific one is more about what appears in the "most recently used" list. This bug is about highlighting menu items that have been recently added. (Different algorithm.) Certainly we can't control the MRU, but we may be doing something wrong if after installing it doesn't trigger the "New programs have been installed."

[Mark Hammond (mhammond)]

Oops - I knew it was one of his blogs - try http://blogs.msdn.com/oldnewthing/archive/2007/06/21/3434925.aspx

[Mark Hammond (mhammond)]

and looking at the items we install, it appears the problem is that we don't actually install shortcuts to any new programs. We do install a shortcut to cmd.exe, but I'm guessing Windows will resolve such links before looking at the final executable to determine if its "new" (especially given that blog entry makes specific reference to the timestamps on the programs themselves)