diff --git a/release-notes/v1.2.1.md b/release-notes/v1.2.1.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..52c25db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release-notes/v1.2.1.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+## Fixes
+
+- **Photo scenery missing on the first flight after installing.** If you ticked **Launch OrthoStreamXP now** at the end of the installer and then pressed **Start XP**, X-Plane started without the photo scenery and removed the OrthoStream packages from its scenery list. Restarting OrthoStreamXP made it work. **Start XP** now starts X-Plane the same way a double-click in Windows does, so the first flight shows the photo scenery too. Your **X-Plane start options** are still passed to X-Plane as before.
diff --git a/src/OrthoStreamXP/Setup/Installation/DesktopShell.cs b/src/OrthoStreamXP/Setup/Installation/DesktopShell.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..988063b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/OrthoStreamXP/Setup/Installation/DesktopShell.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
+using Microsoft.CSharp.RuntimeBinder;
+
+namespace OrthoStreamXP.Setup;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Starts programs through the desktop's Explorer, as a double-click there would, so they get the person's own
+/// environment instead of inheriting this program's. Started by the installer's "Launch" box, this program's
+/// environment is the installer's, and an X-Plane started from it left the mounted packages out of its scenery.
+/// </summary>
+internal static class DesktopShell
+{
+    private const int CsidlDesktop = 0, SwcDesktop = 8, SwfoNeedDispatch = 1, SvgioBackground = 0, SwShowNormal = 1;
+    private static readonly Guid ShellWindowsClass = new("9BA05972-F6A8-11CF-A442-00A0C90A8F39");
+    private static readonly Guid TopLevelBrowserService = new("4C96BE40-915C-11CF-99D3-00AA004AE837");
+    private static readonly Guid ShellBrowserInterface = typeof(IShellBrowser).GUID;
+    private static readonly Guid DispatchInterface = new("00020400-0000-0000-C000-000000000046");
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Asks the desktop's Explorer to start <paramref name="program"/>. Returns false, after logging why, when it could not
+    /// (no Explorer running as the desktop); call this from an STA thread such as the window's.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static bool TryStart(string program, string arguments, string workingDirectory)
+    {
+        var pending = new List<object>();
+        try
+        {
+            object shellWindows = Keep(pending, Activator.CreateInstance(Type.GetTypeFromCLSID(ShellWindowsClass, throwOnError: true)!)!);
+            object location = CsidlDesktop;
+            object? root = null; // an empty VARIANT
+            object? desktop = ((IShellWindows)shellWindows).FindWindowSW(ref location, ref root, SwcDesktop, out _, SwfoNeedDispatch);
+            if (desktop is null)
+            {
+                Log.Warning("The desktop's Explorer is not running; X-Plane is started directly");
+                return false;
+            }
+            Keep(pending, desktop);
+            Guid service = TopLevelBrowserService, shellBrowser = ShellBrowserInterface, dispatch = DispatchInterface;
+            var browser = (IShellBrowser)Keep(pending, ((IServiceProvider)desktop).QueryService(ref service, ref shellBrowser));
+            IShellView view = browser.QueryActiveShellView();
+            Keep(pending, view);
+            // The desktop view's Shell.Application lives in Explorer, so its ShellExecute starts the program from there.
+            dynamic folderView = Keep(pending, view.GetItemObject(SvgioBackground, ref dispatch));
+            dynamic application = Keep(pending, folderView.Application);
+            application.ShellExecute(program, arguments, workingDirectory, "", SwShowNormal);
+            return true;
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex) when (ex is COMException or InvalidCastException or RuntimeBinderException)
+        {
+            Log.Warning($"The desktop's Explorer could not start {program} ({ex.Message}); it is started directly");
+            return false;
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            foreach (object comObject in pending)
+                if (Marshal.IsComObject(comObject)) Marshal.ReleaseComObject(comObject);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static object Keep(List<object> pending, object comObject)
+    {
+        pending.Add(comObject);
+        return comObject;
+    }
+
+    // Only the methods used are called; the Slot methods keep the others' places in the interfaces' tables.
+#pragma warning disable CA1707, IDE1006 // the slot names mark unused table entries
+    [ComImport, Guid("85CB6900-4D95-11CF-960C-0080C7F4EE85"), InterfaceType(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsDual)]
+    private interface IShellWindows
+    {
+        void Slot_Count();
+        void Slot_Item();
+        void Slot_NewEnum();
+        void Slot_Register();
+        void Slot_RegisterPending();
+        void Slot_Revoke();
+        void Slot_OnNavigate();
+        void Slot_OnActivated();
+
+        [return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.IDispatch)]
+        object? FindWindowSW(ref object location, ref object? root, int windowClass, out int window, int options);
+    }
+
+    [ComImport, Guid("6D5140C1-7436-11CE-8034-00AA006009FA"), InterfaceType(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsIUnknown)]
+    private interface IServiceProvider
+    {
+        [return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.IUnknown)]
+        object QueryService(ref Guid service, ref Guid interfaceId);
+    }
+
+    [ComImport, Guid("000214E2-0000-0000-C000-000000000046"), InterfaceType(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsIUnknown)]
+    private interface IShellBrowser
+    {
+        void Slot_GetWindow();
+        void Slot_ContextSensitiveHelp();
+        void Slot_InsertMenusSB();
+        void Slot_SetMenuSB();
+        void Slot_RemoveMenusSB();
+        void Slot_SetStatusTextSB();
+        void Slot_EnableModelessSB();
+        void Slot_TranslateAcceleratorSB();
+        void Slot_BrowseObject();
+        void Slot_GetViewStateStream();
+        void Slot_GetControlWindow();
+        void Slot_SendControlMsg();
+
+        IShellView QueryActiveShellView();
+    }
+
+    [ComImport, Guid("000214E3-0000-0000-C000-000000000046"), InterfaceType(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsIUnknown)]
+    private interface IShellView
+    {
+        void Slot_GetWindow();
+        void Slot_ContextSensitiveHelp();
+        void Slot_TranslateAccelerator();
+        void Slot_EnableModeless();
+        void Slot_UIActivate();
+        void Slot_Refresh();
+        void Slot_CreateViewWindow();
+        void Slot_DestroyViewWindow();
+        void Slot_GetCurrentInfo();
+        void Slot_AddPropertySheetPages();
+        void Slot_SaveViewState();
+        void Slot_SelectItem();
+
+        [return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.IUnknown)]
+        object GetItemObject(int item, ref Guid interfaceId);
+    }
+#pragma warning restore CA1707, IDE1006
+}
diff --git a/src/OrthoStreamXP/Setup/Installation/SystemCheck.cs b/src/OrthoStreamXP/Setup/Installation/SystemCheck.cs
index 4559b54..bf48d2f 100644
--- a/src/OrthoStreamXP/Setup/Installation/SystemCheck.cs
+++ b/src/OrthoStreamXP/Setup/Installation/SystemCheck.cs
@@ -94,10 +94,17 @@ public static IReadOnlyList<string> TakenInCustomScenery(string? xplane, IEnumer
         return File.Exists(exe) ? exe : null;
     }
 
-    /// <summary>Starts X-Plane from its folder, as a double-click on X-Plane.exe would.</summary>
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Starts X-Plane from its folder, as a double-click on X-Plane.exe would: through the desktop's Explorer, so it does not
+    /// inherit this program's environment (directly only when Explorer cannot).
+    /// </summary>
     /// <param name="arguments">Added to its command line, such as --allow_reshade; null or empty for none.</param>
-    public static void StartXPlane(string program, string? arguments = null) =>
-        Process.Start(new ProcessStartInfo(program, arguments?.Trim() ?? "") { WorkingDirectory = Path.GetDirectoryName(program)!, UseShellExecute = true })?.Dispose();
+    public static void StartXPlane(string program, string? arguments = null)
+    {
+        string folder = Path.GetDirectoryName(program)!, options = arguments?.Trim() ?? "";
+        if (DesktopShell.TryStart(program, options, folder)) return;
+        Process.Start(new ProcessStartInfo(program, options) { WorkingDirectory = folder, UseShellExecute = true })?.Dispose();
+    }
 
     public static bool IsXPlaneRunning()
     {