title: Deploying .NET 5 WPF application using MSI installer
body: <p>Has anyone used Visual Studio Setup Project to deploy a .NET 5 WPF desktop application? I have been doing this stuff for years, but with .NET 5, things seem to have changed a bit. I tried to follow the steps provided by MS in <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/deployment/installer-projects-net-core?view=vs-2019" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this article</a>, which primarily targets .NET Core 3.1, but I couldn't find anything specific for .NET 5.</p>
  <p>Unlike .NET Framework WPF applications, where we add <strong>Primary Project Output</strong> to our installer project, this article asks me to add <strong>Published Items</strong> to the installer. I did that but now there is no way to create a &quot;Shortcut&quot; on user's desktop or start menu, because shortcuts require me to select an executable, which I do not have in this case.</p>
  <p>A slightly different but related problem is that I can't select my application's icon in the installer project because again I do not have <em>primary output</em> of my WPF project in the installer.</p>