EasyZip - EasyZip Self

EasyZip Self-Extractor

Overview
EasyZip Self-Extractor is included with EasyZip. It makes it easy to create files that unzip themselves.

What is a Self-Extracting Zip File?
A self-extracting Zip file is an executable program file (.EXE file) that includes a Zip file and software to extract or “unzip” the contents of the Zip file. Users can run (execute) a self-extracting Zip file just as they run any other program.

When a self-extracting Zip file created by EasyZip Self-Extractor is run, a dialog box is displayed. This dialog box makes it easy for the user to change the “unzip to” folder before starting the extract or “unzip" operation.

Self-extracting Zip files created by EasyZip Self-Extractor are 100% compatible with the Zip 2.0 file format, so they can be unzipped by standard unzip utilities like EasyZip.

What are the advantages to Self-Extracting Zip Files?
Users can extract or “unzip” files from a self-extracting Zip file without running a separate unzip utility or knowing how to use an unzip utility. Thus, self-extracting Zip files are particularly suited distribution of software to beginning users who are not familiar with the concept of Zip files.

How Does it Work?

There are two parts to the process:

The EasyZip Self-Extractor program creates self-extracting Zip files.

When EasyZip Self-Extractor creates a self-extracting Zip file it includes part of itself in the self-extracting Zip file. The part of EasyZip Self-Extractor included in the self-extracting Zip file is what makes it possible to unzip the files by simply running the self-extracting Zip file.

The person who creates the self-extracting Zip file runs EasyZip Self-Extractor once, specifying the name of the Zip file. The resulting self-extracting Zip file can be distributed to many people, and will unzip itself when it is run.