Can I create a desktop icon for a ClickOnce application?

In Visual Studio 2005, ClickOnce does not have the ability to create a desktop icon, but it is now available in Visual Studio 2008 SP1. In Visual Studio 2005, you can use the following code to create a desktop icon for you when the application starts.

I have used this code over several projects for a couple of months now without any problem. I must say that all my applications have been deployed over an intranet in a controlled environment. Also, the icon is not removed when the application is uninstalled. This code creates a shortcut to the shortcut on the start menu that ClickOnce creates.

private void CreateDesktopIcon()
{
    ApplicationDeployment ad = ApplicationDeployment.CurrentDeployment;

        if (ad.IsFirstRun)
        {
            Assembly assembly = Assembly.GetEntryAssembly();
            string company = string.Empty;
            string description = string.Empty;

            if (Attribute.IsDefined(assembly, typeof(AssemblyCompanyAttribute)))
            {
                AssemblyCompanyAttribute ascompany =
                  (AssemblyCompanyAttribute)Attribute.GetCustomAttribute(
                    assembly, typeof(AssemblyCompanyAttribute));

                company = ascompany.Company;
            }
            if (Attribute.IsDefined(assembly, typeof(AssemblyDescriptionAttribute)))
            {
                AssemblyDescriptionAttribute asdescription =
                  (AssemblyDescriptionAttribute)Attribute.GetCustomAttribute(
                    assembly, typeof(AssemblyDescriptionAttribute));

                description = asdescription.Description;
            }
            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(company))
            {
                string desktopPath = string.Empty;
                desktopPath = string.Concat(
                                Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Desktop),
                                "\\",
                                description,
                                ".appref-ms");

                string shortcutName = string.Empty;
                shortcutName = string.Concat(
                                 Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Programs),
                                 "\\",
                                 company,
                                 "\\",
                                 description,
                                 ".appref-ms");

                System.IO.File.Copy(shortcutName, desktopPath, true);
            }
        }
    }
}

It seems like there is a way to place an icon on the desktop in ClickOnce.

1. Upgrade to Visual Studio 2008 SP 1, and there will be a placed an icon on the desktop check box in the options page of the publish section of the project properties window.
2. The second option is to add code to your application that copies the shortcut to the desktop on the first run of the application. See the blog post How to add Desktop Shortcut to ClickOnce Deployment Application.