Wix toolset: How to remove Shortcut on install? - wix

Question

We recently changed the name of our application from let's say test1app to test2app. So now when our customers update my application from the old version to this new one I want the shortcuts for test1app to get removed because I have already removed all the files with that name(I removed them with RemoveFile and RemoveFolder).
Is it possible to remove .lnk files with RemoveFile as well?
I have one shortcut on the desktop and one in the program files.
I have tried to remove the .lnk file with remove file but it does not get removed. I even tried to add a plain .txt file and remove it from the desktop but it does not get removed either so maybe I am calling the wrong Dictionary or something?
This is a snipped from my code:
`<Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">
<Directory Id="ProgramMenuFolder">
<Directory Id="ApplicationStartMenuDirectory" Name="Test2"/>
</Directory>
<Directory Id="DesktopFolder" Name="Desktop" />
</Directory>`
`<DirectoryRef Id="ProgramMenuFolder">
<Component Id="delete_test1_shortcuts" Guid="*">`
//Here I am trying to remove the shortcut from the Application start menu dir
`<RemoveFile Directory="ApplicationStartMenuDirectory" Id="test1.lnk_shortcut" Name="test1.lnk" On="install" />
<RegistryValue Root="HKCU" Key="Software\Company\test1" Name="installed" Type="integer" Value="1" KeyPath="yes"/>`
//Here I am trying to remove the desktop shortcut
`<RemoveFile Directory="DesktopFolder" Id="desktop_test1.lnk" Name="test1.lnk" On="install" />
</Component>`
`</DirectoryRef>`
//then reference the component
`<Feature Id="MainApplication" Title="testapp" Level="1">
<ComponentRef Id="delete_test1_shortcuts"/>
</Feature>`
The goal is that when the customers upgrade their version that the all the test1 shortcuts get removed so they only see the test2 shortcuts on install.

Answer 1

Please try this:
Remove the old component containing the old binary (EXE) AND the shortcut (and whatever other content is there).
Add a new component with the new binary (EXE) AND the new shortcut with the new name (important). Make sure it has a new component GUID.
This is all related to how component reference counting is done in MSI: Change my component GUID in wix?
Essentially: there is a 1:1 match between absolute installation path and the component GUID. If one changes, change the other and the older component will be uninstalled as a whole entity: all settings will be removed. There should be no overlapping resources between the components (not the same name shortcut for example).

Answer 2

I am not sure, why it did not work for you, I just had to do the same and the code below worked for me (some properties omitted for clarity). Wix 3.11.2
<DirectoryRef Id="ProgramMenuFolder">
<Component Id="StartMenuShortcut" Guid="{guid}">
<Shortcut Id="StartMenuShortcut"
Name="Myapp"
WorkingDirectory="APPLICATIONROOTDIRECTORY"/>
<!-- added the line below -->
<RemoveFile Id="RemoveOldStartMenuShortcut" On="install" Name="MyOldShortcut.lnk"/>
</Component>
</DirectoryRef>
<DirectoryRef Id="DesktopFolder">
<Component Id="DesktopShortcut" Guid="{guid}">
<Shortcut Id="DesktopShortcut"
Name="Myapp"
WorkingDirectory="APPLICATIONROOTDIRECTORY"/>
<!-- added the line below -->
<RemoveFile Id="RemoveOldDesktopShortcut" On="install" Name="MyOldShortcut.lnk"/>
</Component>
</DirectoryRef>