[Bug]: Windows Start Menu shortcut disappears after Nightly updates

Before submitting

• I searched existing issues and did not find a duplicate.
• I included enough detail to reproduce or investigate the problem.

Area

Build, CI, or release tooling

Steps to reproduce

1. Install T3 Code Nightly on Windows using the x64 installer.
2. Confirm T3 Code (Nightly) appears in the Start Menu and Windows Search.
3. Launch the app and install Nightly updates through the automatic updater.
4. Repeat for another update if necessary.
5. Search for T3 Code or inspect %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs.

The installer-created T3 Code (Nightly).lnk is missing. Reinstalling over the existing installation does not restore it.

Expected behavior

The Start Menu shortcut should remain available after automatic updates. If it is missing, an update or reinstall should recreate it.

Actual behavior

The installer-created Start Menu shortcut disappears after some Nightly updates.

The application executable remains installed and works when launched directly. Windows Search and application launchers such as Raycast can no longer discover it.

A manually created shortcut with a different name survives subsequent updates.

Impact

Minor bug or occasional failure

Version or commit

0.0.32-nightly.20260801.970, previously observed while updating through: 0.0.29-nightly.20260723.887 - 0.0.31-nightly.20260729.948

Environment

Windows 11, build 10.0.26200.0, AMD64

Logs or stack traces

No logs or stack trace are produced. The executable remains installed, but the installer-created Start Menu shortcut is missing after updating.

Screenshots, recordings, or supporting files

No response

Workaround

Create a manually named Start Menu shortcut pointing to:

C:\Users\Ares\AppData\Local\Programs\t3-code-desktop\T3 Code (Nightly).exe

Using a name different from the installer-owned shortcut prevents the updater from removing it.

Start by reproducing the Nightly update flow on Windows 11 and inspect the installer/updater handling of the installer-created T3 Code (Nightly).lnk under the Start Menu Programs directory. Done means automatic updates preserve or recreate that shortcut, while manually named shortcuts continue to behave as described.