Learned that mini_installer's linker settings cannot actually be shared...

chrome/installer/mini_installer.gyp

+{
+  'variables': {
+    'version_py': '../../chrome/tools/build/version.py',
+    'version_path': '../../chrome/VERSION',
+    'lastchange_path': '<(SHARED_INTERMEDIATE_DIR)/build/LASTCHANGE',
+    # 'branding_dir' is set in the 'conditions' section at the bottom.
+    'msvs_use_common_linker_extras': 0,
+    'msvs_use_common_release': 0,
+  },
+  'includes': [
+    '../../build/common.gypi',
+  ],
+  'conditions': [
+    ['OS=="win"', {
+      'targets': [
+        {
+          'target_name': 'mini_installer',
+          'type': 'executable',
+          'msvs_guid': '24A5AC7C-280B-4899-9153-6BA570A081E7',
+          'dependencies': [
+            '../chrome.gyp:chrome',
+            '../chrome.gyp:chrome_dll',
+            '../../testing/gtest.gyp:gtest',
+            'installer.gyp:setup',
+          ],
+          'include_dirs': [
+            '../..',
+            '<(PRODUCT_DIR)',
+            '<(INTERMEDIATE_DIR)',
+          ],
+          'sources': [
+            'mini_installer/chrome.release',
+            'mini_installer/mini_installer.cc',
+            'mini_installer/mini_installer.h',
+            'mini_installer/mini_installer.ico',
+            'mini_installer/mini_installer.rc',
+            'mini_installer/mini_installer_exe_version.rc.version',
+            'mini_installer/mini_installer_resource.h',
+            'mini_installer/pe_resource.cc',
+            'mini_installer/pe_resource.h',
+          ],
+          'msvs_settings': {
+            'VCCLCompilerTool': {
+              'EnableIntrinsicFunctions': 'true',
+              'BufferSecurityCheck': 'false',
+            },
+            'VCLinkerTool': {
+              'AdditionalOptions':
+                '/safeseh:no /dynamicbase:no /ignore:4199 /ignore:4221 /nxcompat',
+              'RandomizedBaseAddress': '1',
+              'DataExecutionPrevention': '0',
+              'AdditionalLibraryDirectories':
+                ['<(DEPTH)/third_party/platformsdk_win2008_6_1/files/Lib;<(PRODUCT_DIR)/lib'],
+              # TODO(bradnelson): change when vsprops are all in gyp.
+              'DelayLoadDLLs': [],
+              'EntryPointSymbol': 'MainEntryPoint',
+              'GenerateMapFile': 'true',
+              'IgnoreAllDefaultLibraries': 'true',
+              'OptimizeForWindows98': '1',
+              'SubSystem': '2',     # Set /SUBSYSTEM:WINDOWS
+            },
+          },
+          'configurations': {
+            'Debug': {
+              'msvs_settings': {
+                'VCCLCompilerTool': {
+                  'BasicRuntimeChecks': '0',
+                },
+                # TODO(bradnelson): Add these back to common configuration
+                # when vsprops goes away.
+                'VCLinkerTool': {
+                  'AdditionalDependencies': [
+                    '"$(VCInstallDir)crt\\src\\intel\\mt_lib\\memset.obj"',
+                    '"$(VCInstallDir)crt\\src\\intel\\mt_lib\\P4_memset.obj"',
+                    'shlwapi.lib',
+                  ],
+                },
+              },
+            },
+            'Release': {
+              'msvs_props': ['mini_installer/mini_installer_release.vsprops'],
+              'msvs_settings': {
+                'VCCLCompilerTool': {
+                  'BasicRuntimeChecks': '0',
+                },
+              },
+            },
+          },
+          'rules': [
+            {
+              'rule_name': 'mini_installer_version',
+              'extension': 'version',
+              'variables': {
+                'template_input_path': 'mini_installer/mini_installer_exe_version.rc.version',
+              },
+              'inputs': [
+                '<(template_input_path)',
+                '<(version_path)',
+                '<(lastchange_path)',
+                '<(branding_dir)/BRANDING',
+              ],
+              'outputs': [
+                '<(INTERMEDIATE_DIR)/mini_installer_exe_version.rc',
+              ],
+              'action': [
+                'python', '<(version_py)',
+                '-f', '<(version_path)',
+                '-f', '<(lastchange_path)',
+                '-f', '<(branding_dir)/BRANDING',
+                '<(template_input_path)',
+                '<@(_outputs)',
+              ],
+              'process_outputs_as_sources': 1,
+              'message': 'Generating version information'
+            },
+            {
+              'rule_name': 'installer_archive',
+              'extension': 'release',
+              'variables': {
+                'create_installer_archive_py_path':
+                  '../tools/build/win/create_installer_archive.py',
+              },
+              'inputs': [
+                '<(create_installer_archive_py_path)',
+                '<(PRODUCT_DIR)/chrome.exe',
+                '<(PRODUCT_DIR)/chrome.dll',
+                '<(PRODUCT_DIR)/locales/en-US.dll',
+                '<(PRODUCT_DIR)/icudt38.dll',
+              ],
+              'outputs': [
+                'xxx.out',
+                '<(PRODUCT_DIR)/<(RULE_INPUT_NAME).7z',
+                '<(PRODUCT_DIR)/<(RULE_INPUT_NAME).packed.7z',
+                '<(PRODUCT_DIR)/setup.ex_',
+                '<(PRODUCT_DIR)/packed_files.txt',
+              ],
+              'action': [
+                'python',
+                '<(create_installer_archive_py_path)',
+                '--output_dir=<(PRODUCT_DIR)',
+                '--input_file=<(RULE_INPUT_PATH)',
+                # TODO(sgk):  may just use environment variables
+                #'--distribution=$(CHROMIUM_BUILD)',
+                '--distribution=_google_chrome',
+              ],
+              'message': 'Create installer archive'
+            },
+          ],
+          # TODO(mark):  <(branding_dir) should be defined by the
+          # global condition block at the bottom of the file, but
+          # this doesn't work due to the following issue:
+          #
+          #   http://code.google.com/p/gyp/issues/detail?id=22
+          #
+          # Remove this block once the above issue is fixed.
+          'conditions': [
+            [ 'branding == "Chrome"', {
+              'variables': {
+                 'branding_dir': '../app/theme/google_chrome',
+              },
+            }, { # else branding!="Chrome"
+              'variables': {
+                 'branding_dir': '../app/theme/chromium',
+              },
+            }],
+          ],
+        },
+      ],
+    }],
+    [ 'branding == "Chrome"', {
+      'variables': {
+         'branding_dir': '../app/theme/google_chrome',
+      },
+    }, { # else branding!="Chrome"
+      'variables': {
+         'branding_dir': '../app/theme/chromium',
+      },
+    }],
+  ],
+}