How do I add my program to the users start menu with VS2010 Setup Project?

You can add a short cut in to the executable in the File System view.

More steps here

In the Setup Project File System, right-click the User's Programs Menu, and create a folder for your application. Go to the Application Folder, right-click project output, then select Create Shortcut to xxx. Drag the shortcut to the application folder.

1. Go to Application Folder, look on the right hand side it should say, Primary output from X (make sure you don't have other widgets covering up this real estate.)
2. Right click that => make shortcut
3. Go to User's Program's Menu ==> create the folder that you want your shortcut to reside in, probably your company name
4. Drag the shortcut from step 2 to the folder you just created.

After wasting an hour, I got it done - VS 2010 (this article helped):

In your Deployment Project go to File System Editor Click on "Application Folder" (I assume you have "Primary Output" from your projects there) Right click on "Primary Output" of the project you want to target with your shortcut - select "Create Shortcut to Primary Output ..." Rename shortcut Drag shortcut to Desktop / Programs Menu folder That's it!