Copyright: Copyright © 1995-2001 by WinZip Computing, Inc.  All rights reserved.
Citation: Copyright © 1995-2001 by WinZip Computing, Inc.  All rights reserved.


Program description

What is WinZip® Self-Extractor?

WinZip Self-Extractor creates Windows self-extracting Zip files. These self-extracting Zip files are ideal for Internet file distribution because they: (1) can contain multiple compressed files, minimizing download time and ensuring that important files do not become separated from the rest of the package; (2) allow the receiver to use a familiar Windows interface to decompress files, without owning or knowing how to use a separate unzip utility; and (3) optionally run a "setup" or "installation" program, which may be included by the developer when the files are decompressed.

WinZip Self-Extractor is a more powerful version of WinZip Self-Extractor Personal Edition, which is included with WinZip®, an award-winning utility to manipulate Zip files.  For more information on WinZip see About WinZip.

For information describing Zip files and self-extracting Zip files, the benefits of self-extracting Zip files, and a brief overview of WinZip Self-Extractor operation, see About self-extracting Zip files.

Summary of key WinZip Self-Extractor features

•	Easy distribution of one or more compressed files.

•	Wizard simplifies building new self-extracting Zip files.

•	Supports the ability to create a single self-extracting Zip file that spans multiple removable disks. No special software is required during extraction.

•	You can use your own icon for self-extracting Zip files.

•	You can specify an optional command to run when the unzip operation completes, making it easy to run a SETUP program included in a self-extracting Zip file.

•	Any folder information in the Zip file is automatically restored.

•	100% compatible with the Zip 2.0 standard.

Awards and quotes

"5-Cow Rating", TUCOWS.com

"5-Star Rating", Hotfiles.com

"Get It Rating", Windows 95.com

"Best Choice Pick of the Week", WUGNET


About self-extracting Zip files

This topic describes Zip files and self-extracting Zip files, discusses the benefits of self-extracting Zip files, and briefly describes how self-extracting Zip files work.

What is a Zip file?

The Zip file format is an industry standard for compressing and grouping files.  One Zip file can contain multiple files.  Files contained in a Zip file are usually compressed.

Typical uses for Zip files include:

•	Most files available in "file areas" on the Internet and on services like America Online are distributed as Zip files.  There are two main benefits to using Zip files for electronic file distribution: only one file transfer operation ("download") is required to obtain all related files, and file transfer time is minimized because the files in a Zip file are compressed.

•	It is often useful to send a group of related files to an associate.  Rather than distributing individual files it is often easier to distribute the files as a Zip file to benefit from the file grouping and compression.

Zip files are created using a Zip utility like WinZip®.

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 WinZip Self-Extractor is run, a dialog box is displayed.  This dialog box makes it easy for the user to change the "Unzip To" folder and change other options before extracting or "unzipping" the files in the self-extracting Zip file.

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

What are the advantages of 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 well suited for distribution of software to beginning users who may not be familiar with the concept of Zip files.

How does it work?

There are two parts to WinZip Self-Extractor:

1)	The WinZip Self-Extractor program creates self-extracting Zip files.

2)	When WinZip Self-Extractor creates a self-extracting Zip file it includes part of itself in the self-extracting Zip file.  The part of WinZip 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 WinZip Self-Extractor once, specifying the name of the Zip file and options, including the default "UnZip To" folder and a program to be run automatically when the unzip operation completes.  WinZip Self-Extractor stores this information in the self-extracting Zip file so it is available when the self-extracting Zip file is run.  See Creating self-extracting Zip files for details on the procedure, and Copyright/License/Warranty for information on licensing.


Copyright/License/Warranty

Copyright

WinZip® Self-Extractor
Copyright © 1995-2001 by WinZip Computing, Inc.
All rights reserved.

This License applies to the standard-licensed version of WinZip Self-Extractor.  If you have an evaluation version of WinZip Self-Extractor, see the section titled Evaluation License.

WinZip® Self-Extractor License
WinZip Computing, Inc.

Your Agreement to this License

You should carefully read the following terms and conditions before using this software.  Unless you have a different license agreement signed by WinZip Computing, Inc. (“WCI”) your use, distribution, or installation of this copy of WinZip Self-Extractor indicates your acceptance of this License.

If you do not agree to all of the terms of this License, then do not install, distribute or use this copy of WinZip Self-Extractor.  In addition, if you paid WCI or an authorized WCI distributor for this copy individually, you may return it unused, within thirty (30) days after purchase, for a full refund of your payment.

Scope of License

This copy of WinZip Self-Extractor may either be used by a single person who uses the software personally on one or more computers, or installed on a single workstation used nonsimultaneously by multiple people, but not both. This is not a concurrent use license.

You may access this copy through a network, provided that you have obtained an individual WinZip Self-Extractor license for each workstation that will access WinZip Self-Extractor through the network.  For instance, if 8 different workstations will access WinZip Self-Extractor on the network, each workstation must have its own WinZip Self-Extractor license, regardless of whether they use WinZip Self-Extractor at different times or concurrently.

WinZip Self-Extractor may be used to create an unlimited number of freely distributable, royalty-free self-extracting Zip files. Each self-extracting Zip file contains, among other things, a portion of WinZip Self-Extractor, including copyrighted software, proprietary notices, and identifying information (this portion is the "Extraction Software"). You may not alter or modify the Extraction Software, nor give anyone permission to do so.

All rights of any kind in WinZip Self-Extractor which are not expressly granted in this License are entirely and exclusively reserved to and by WCI.  You may not rent, lease, modify, translate, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or create derivative works based on, WinZip Self-Extractor. You may not make access to WinZip Self-Extractor available to others in connection with a service bureau, application service provider, or similar business.

Warranty Disclaimers and Liability Limitations

This software, and all accompanying files, data and materials, are distributed “AS IS” and with no warranties of any kind, whether express or implied.    Good data processing procedure dictates that any program be thoroughly tested with non-critical data before relying on it.  The user must assume the entire risk of using the program.  This disclaimer of warranty constitutes an essential part of this License Agreement.

Any liability of WCI will be limited exclusively to refund of purchase price.  In addition, in no event shall WCI, or its principals, shareholders, officers, employees, affiliates, contractors, subsidiaries, or parent organizations, be liable for any incidental, consequential, or punitive damages whatsoever relating to the use of WinZip Self-Extractor, or to your relationship with WCI.

In addition, in no event does WCI authorize you to use WinZip Self-Extractor in applications or systems where WinZip Self-Extractor's failure to perform can reasonably be expected to result in a significant physical injury, or in loss of life.  Any such use by you is entirely at your own risk, and you agree to hold WCI harmless from any claims or losses relating to such unauthorized use.

General

This Agreement is the complete statement of the Agreement between the parties on the subject matter, and merges and supersedes all other or prior understandings, purchase orders, agreements and arrangements. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of  Connecticut.  Exclusive jurisdiction and venue for all matters relating to this Agreement shall be in courts and fora located in the State of Connecticut, and you consent to such jurisdiction and venue.  There are no third party beneficiaries of any promises, obligations or representations made by WCI herein.


Shareware License
Evaluation License

Copyright

WinZip® Self-Extractor
Copyright © 1995-2001 by WinZip Computing, Inc.
All rights reserved

This license applies to the evaluation version of WinZip Self-Extractor.  If you do not have an evaluation version of WinZip Self-Extractor, see the section titled Copyright/License/Warranty.

WinZip® Self-Extractor License
Evaluation Version
WinZip Computing, Inc.

Your Agreement to this License

By using, copying, transmitting, distributing or installing WinZip Self-Extractor, you agree to all of the terms of this License.  If you do not agree to all of the terms of this License, then do not use, copy, transmit, distribute, or install WinZip Self-Extractor.

Scope of License

This is not free software.  Subject to the terms below, you are hereby licensed by WinZip Computing, Inc. (“WCI”) to use this software for evaluation purposes without charge for a period of 21 days.  If you use this software after the 21 day evaluation period a registration fee of $49 is required.  Payments must be in US dollars drawn on a US bank, and should be sent to WinZip Computing, Inc., P.O. Box 540, Mansfield, CT 06268, USA.  See the WinZip web site at www.winzip.com for information about online ordering and quantity discounts.

Unregistered use of WinZip Self-Extractor after the 21-day evaluation period is in violation of U.S. and international copyright laws.

You may, without making any payment to WCI:

a)	give exact copies of this evaluation version of WinZip Self-Extractor personally to anyone, except for the purpose of extending their 21 day evaluation period;

b)	distribute exact copies of this evaluation version of WinZip Self-Extractor, if done exclusively through electronic channels; and

c)	make as many exact copies of this evaluation version of WinZip Self-Extractor as you wish, for purposes of distribution as described in (a) and (b) above.

You are specifically prohibited from charging, or requesting donations, for any copies, however made, and from distributing such copies with other products of any kind, commercial or otherwise, without prior written permission from WCI. WCI reserves the right to revoke the above distribution rights at any time, for any or no reason.

Self-extracting Zip files created by WinZip Self-Extractor contain, among other things, a portion of WinZip Self-Extractor, including copyrighted software, proprietary notices, and identifying information (this portion is the "Extraction Software").  You may not alter or modify the Extraction Software, nor give anyone permission to do so. Under no circumstances are you licensed to distribute self-extracting Zip files created by the evaluation version of WinZip Self-Extractor.

All rights of any kind in WinZip Self-Extractor which are not expressly granted in this License are entirely and exclusively reserved to and by WCI.  You may not rent, lease, modify, translate, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or create derivative works based on, WinZip Self-Extractor. You may not make access to WinZip Self-Extractor available to others in connection with a service bureau, application service provider, or similar business.

Warranty Disclaimers and Liability Limitations

This software, and all accompanying files, data and materials, are distributed “AS IS” and with no warranties of any kind, whether express or implied.    Good data processing procedure dictates that any program be thoroughly tested with non-critical data before relying on it.  The user must assume the entire risk of using the program.  This disclaimer of warranty constitutes an essential part of this License Agreement.

Any liability of WCI will be limited exclusively to refund of purchase price, if any. In addition, in no event shall WCI, or its principals, shareholders, officers, employees, affiliates, contractors, subsidiaries, or parent organizations, be liable for any incidental, consequential, or punitive damages whatsoever relating to the use of WinZip Self-Extractor, or to your relationship with WCI.

In addition, in no event does WCI authorize you to use WinZip Self-Extractor in applications or systems where WinZip Self-Extractor's failure to perform can reasonably be expected to result in a significant physical injury, or in loss of life.  Any such use by you is entirely at your own risk, and you agree to hold WCI harmless from any claims or losses relating to such unauthorized use.

General

This Agreement is the complete statement of the Agreement between the parties on the subject matter, and merges and supersedes all other or prior understandings, purchase orders, agreements and arrangements. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of  Connecticut.  Exclusive jurisdiction and venue for all matters relating to this Agreement shall be in courts and fora located in the State of Connecticut, and you consent to such jurisdiction and venue.  There are no third party beneficiaries of any promises, obligations or representations made by WCI herein.


Ordering Information
WinZip Self-Extractor 2.2 Ordering Information

This ordering information applies to the English language version of WinZip® Self-Extractor 2.2.  All disk orders are sent by postal mail (airmail outside North America) and leave our office within two business days after they are received; there is no additional charge for postage.

All orders are subject to the WinZip Self-Extractor License Agreement.

Immediate Online Delivery

Immediate online delivery of registered copies of WinZip Self-Extractor is available for credit card orders placed via the Internet using the Order link at the WinZip web site:

http://www.winzip.com

You can place orders for delivery by postal mail (or airmail outside North America) using the Internet order forms or as described below.

Ordering by Check

To order by check, send a completed order form and a check payable to WinZip Computing, Inc., P.O. Box 540, Mansfield, CT 06268 USA.  Payments must be in US dollars drawn on a US bank, or you can send international postal money orders in US dollars.  Click here to view a ready-to-print Order Form.

Credit Card Orders

You can place secure credit card orders on the Internet using the Order link on the WinZip web site:

http://www.winzip.com

For information on credit card ordering by phone, fax, or postal mail, see Credit Card Ordering.

Purchase Orders

For information on using purchase orders, see Purchase Orders.


Order Form
WinZip Self-Extractor 2.2 Order Form/Invoice

To print this order form, select Print Topic from the File pull-down menu.

This ordering information only applies to the English language version of the product.  To order by check, send this completed order form and a check (in US dollars drawn on a US bank) payable to WinZip Computing, Inc., P.O. Box 540, Mansfield, CT 06268 USA.  All orders are subject to the WinZip® Self-Extractor License Agreement.

Customer information is considered confidential and will not be shared or distributed to any third party.

	WinZip Self-Extractor 2.2
	Five- and Ten-Packs include ONE copy of the software and a license to duplicate the software as needed to create self-extracting ZIP files on up to five or ten workstations in one organization.
	Single Copy	_____ copies at	$49 each =	___________
	Five-pack:	_____ 5-packs at	$199 each =	___________
	Ten-pack:	_____ 10-packs at	$280 each =	___________
Connecticut residents add 6% sales tax:	___________
Total payment:	___________

Prices are in US dollars and are guaranteed through July 2002.

Date:	_______________________________________________________
Name:	_______________________________________________________
Company:	_______________________________________________________
Shipping Address:	_______________________________________________________
	_______________________________________________________
City, State, Zip:	_______________________________________________________
Country:	_______________________________________________________
Day Phone:	_______________________________________________________
E-Mail address:	_______________________________________________________
How did you hear about WinZip Self-Extractor?	_______________________________________________________


Credit card ordering information
WinZip Self-Extractor 2.2 Credit Card Order Form

To print this order form, select Print Topic from the File pull-down menu.

Note: this ordering information is for the English language version of WinZip® Self-Extractor.  You can place credit card orders by phone, fax, or postal mail through DigiBuy, a credit card ordering service. The best way to reach DigiBuy is by phone at 1-877-724-4600 (toll free; U.S. only) or 1-612-253-8488.  You can also send credit card orders via fax to 1-203-699-0780 or by mail to DigiBuy Customer Service, P.O. Box 339, Cheshire, CT 06410 USA.  Please be sure to include a completed credit card order form (below) with your order.

All orders are subject to the WinZip Self-Extractor License Agreement.  Prices are in US dollars and are guaranteed through July 2002.

WinZip Computing, Inc. cannot be reached at the numbers above.  These numbers are for DigiBuy, a third-party service that only takes credit card orders.

Any questions about the status of the shipment of an order, refunds, registration options, product details, technical support, volume discounts, dealer pricing, site licenses, etc., should be directed to WinZip Computing. You can send e-mail to help@winzip.com; our goal is to respond to all e-mail inquiries within one business day. You can also send postal mail to WinZip Computing, P.O. Box 540, Mansfield, CT 06268, USA.  All prices are in US dollars.

	WinZip Self-Extractor 2.2
	Five- and Ten-Packs include ONE copy of the software and a license to duplicate the software as needed to create self-extracting ZIP files on up to five or ten workstations in one organization.
	Single Copy	_____ copies at	$49 each =	___________
	Five-pack:	_____ 5-packs at	$199 each =	___________
	Ten-pack:	_____ 10-packs at	$280 each =	___________
CT (6%), MN (6.5%), and WA (8.6%) residents add sales tax:	___________
Total payment:	___________
Date:	_______________________________________________________
Credit Card:	[   ] MasterCard      [   ] VISA       [   ] AMEX        [   ] Discover
Credit Card #:	_______________________________________________________
Expiration Date:	_______________________________________________________
Name On Card:	_______________________________________________________
Signature:	_______________________________________________________
Name:	_______________________________________________________
Company:	_______________________________________________________
Billing Address:	_______________________________________________________
City, State, Zip:	_______________________________________________________
Country:	_______________________________________________________
Daytime Phone:	_______________________________________________________
E-Mail address:	_______________________________________________________


Purchase Orders

Purchase orders (net 30 days) are accepted from government and accredited educational institutions and major corporations, provided that they are submitted on purchase order forms with a purchase order number. Please be sure to include the WinZip® Self-Extractor order form with your purchase order, and send it to WinZip Computing, P.O. Box 540, Mansfield, CT 06268 USA, or fax it to 1-860-429-3542.


About WinZip®
About WinZip

WinZip® is an award-winning utility that brings the convenience of Windows to the use of Zip files.  WinZip includes built-in zipping and unzipping and features an intuitive point and click interface for viewing, running, extracting, adding, deleting, and testing files in Zip files.  WinZip can also be configured to work with most virus scanners.

The WinZip product includes WinZip Self-Extractor Personal Edition.  For more information, see Differences between WinZip Self-Extractor and the Personal Edition.

WinZip was voted Download of the Millennium on ZDNet and won the Best Utility MVP Award from PC Computing (1/2000), the 1999 Editor's Choice Award from PC Magazine, the 1999 People's Choice Award for Best Overall Utility, and the 1998 World Class Award from PC World.

Here's what magazine reviews say about WinZip:

•	"An attractive archive manager for both novices and experienced users" - PC Magazine, 3/21/2000

•	"A piece of handiwork you'll appreciate every day" - PC Computing, 2/2000

•	"WinZip is a great utility for shrinking underused files on your hard drive or sending large files via e-mail" - PC World, 2/2000

•	"WinZip is the premier zip manager out there" - ZDNET, 1/27/2000

•	"WinZip remains the most popular ZIP file manager in use today" - PC Magazine, 1/27/2000

•	"Easy to use, simple, indispensable and fast" - PC World Australia, 1/2000

•	"A must-have for anyone using the Web" - PC Computing, 1/2000

Visit our web site for a more complete and up-to-date list of awards and magazine quotes.

You can download an evaluation copy of WinZip from the WinZip home page (http://www.winzip.com).


Differences between WinZip Self-Extractor and the Personal Edition

WinZip® Self-Extractor Personal Edition is included with WinZip.  WinZip Self-Extractor 2.2, a separate product from WinZip Computing, Inc., includes the following features not available in the WinZip Self-Extractor Personal Edition included with WinZip:

•	Features to automate and customize software installation, such as the ability to specify an icon and text for the main self-extractor dialog box, and to delete temporary files after running a setup program.  It includes support for the InstallShield 3.0 SETUP program.

•	Ability to run a command when the unzip operation completes.

•	Self-extracting files can be created from the command line.

•	Supports the ability to create a single self-extracting Zip file that spans multiple removable disks. No special software is required during extraction.

•	All versions can be created with English or German messages.

•	Ability to automatically extract files when the self-extractor file is run.

•	A Wizard to simplify the process of building self-extracting files.

Note: some of these features may be included in future versions of WinZip Self-Extractor Personal Edition.


What's New

Major changes in WinZip® Self-Extractor 2.2 include:

•	Self-extracting files can span multiple removable disks.

•	Self-Extractors for Software Installation can run most standard Microsoft-format .INF files as an alternative to "setup" programs.

•	Self-extracting files can open any file using the application associated with that file on the end-user's machine.

•	Self-extracting files can display simple "splash screens" with text and buttons (OK, OK/Cancel, or Yes/No).

•	Standard Self-Extractors include a Browse button so users can easily select an "Unzip To" folder.

•	Improved user interface and customization facilities when creating self-extracting files.  For example, you can save and restore the text used for splash screens.

•	Commands issued by self-extracting files are no longer limited to 64 characters.

•	The creation of 16-bit and MS-DOS self-extracting files is no longer supported.


Acknowledgments

Many people have helped make WinZip® Self-Extractor what it is, by making suggestions, helping test, reporting bugs, etc., but particular thanks goes to Ted Abell, Chuck Campbell, John Conde, Joel Diamond, Paul Dmytrasz, Chris Dunford, Gregg Hommel, Oyvind Kaldestad, Kevin Kearney, Jim Larkin, Tom McGuire, Amer Qaqish, Steve Queen, Bill Richard, Cathy Shea, Mark Stern, Nick Sweeting, Mike Tajmajer, Kristin Trombley and Hans Top.

Special thanks to Edward Stumpf for many suggestions and lots of good feedback.

WinZip Self-Extractor incorporates compression code by the Info-ZIP group, which is used with their permission.  Special thanks to the entire Info-Zip group, in particular to Jean-loup Gailly, Greg Roelofs, and Mark Adler. The original Info-Zip sources are freely available from CompuServe in the pcprog forum and by anonymous ftp from the Internet site ftp.uu.net:/pub/archiving/zip. We will also, upon request, mail you the Info-Zip sources if you send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the address in the WinZip Self-Extractor "About" dialog box.


Technical support

Technical support is available at no charge.

For an up-to-date list of answers to the most frequently asked questions about WinZip® Self-Extractor, visit the FAQ page on the WinZip web site:

http://www.winzip.com/faq.htm

Other support options include:

Internet:	send email to support@winzip.com
Postal Mail:	write to: Technical Support WinZip Computing, Inc. P.O. Box 540 Mansfield, CT 06268 USA
Related Topics:

Solutions to common problems

Hints and tips

Tips for creating self-extracting Zip files for Software Installation


Solutions to common problems

1.	If you create a self-extracting Zip file and specify a file inside your Zip file as the "command to issue when the unzip operation completes", insert the characters ".\" in front of the command.  This will ensure that the command in the Zip file is run, even if a file with the same name exists in the folder containing the self-extracting Zip file.  For example

.\setup.exe

2.	If someone downloads a self-extracting Zip file and reports that the system message "out of memory" was displayed when trying to run it, the reason is usually that the file was corrupted during the download.  Windows often issues "out of memory" errors when you attempt to execute invalid executable files.  Usually the best solution to this problem is for the user to obtain another copy of the self-extracting Zip file.

3.	If a self-extracting Zip file displays a "corrupted header" message when it is run, the most likely cause is an error during the download process.  Normally, downloading the file again will resolve the problem.  If, however, several attempts to download the file do not result in a good copy, your computer may be affected by a virus.  Use an up-to-date virus scanner to check your system and the self-extracting Zip file.  If your system is infected, the virus scanner may be able to disinfect it for you.  Note that, even if your virus scanner reports that the self-extracting Zip file has been disinfected, it is likely that the file will still not self-extract successfully.  This is because the internal information stored in the file has been damaged.  In this case, you will need to obtain a fresh copy of the file after disinfecting your system.  Be sure to check the fresh copy with your virus scanner before running it!

4.	If you have trouble getting a self-extracting Zip file for Software Installation to work, see Tips for creating self-extracting Zip files for Software Installation.

Related Topics:

Technical support

Hints and tips

Tips for creating self-extracting Zip files for Software Installation


Hints and tips

1.	If you create a self-extracting Zip file and specify a file inside your Zip file as the "command to issue when the unzip operation completes", insert the characters ".\" in front of the command.  This will ensure that the command in the Zip file is run, even if a file with the same name exists in the folder containing the self-extracting Zip file.  For example

.\setup.exe

2.	When running WinZip® Self-Extractor from a batch file or "make" file, you can wait for WinZip Self-Extractor with the command

start /wait wzsepe32.exe -y [other options] filename.zip

To avoid limits on the allowed length of command lines, use response files as described in Command line options.

3.	If you are running a self-extracting Zip file from another program, you can specify the /auto parameter to unzip the files without user interaction.  This option has the same effect as clicking the Unzip button when the main dialog box is displayed, and, if the unzip operation is successful, clicking the Close button.  You can specify a folder name to unzip files into that folder.  For example, if modem.exe is a self-extracting Zip file, the command

modem.exe /auto c:\modem

will automatically extract files into the c:\modem folder.

4.	To make the default Unzip To folder the folder containing the self-extracting Zip file, specify “.” (a single period, with no quotes) as the folder name when creating the self-extracting Zip file.

5.	You can use the -st command line option to specify text for the title bar of your self-extracting Zip file.  For example, the command

wzipse32 -st"Installation Program" filename.zip

will put the text Installation Program in the initial dialog displayed when your self-extracting Zip file is executed.

6.	Software installation can now be accomplished by using the standard Microsoft format .INF file as a command in place of a setup program. This provides scripted control over file installation, .ini file changes, and registry changes.

7.	If you have trouble getting a self-extracting Zip file for Software Installation to work, see Tips for creating self-extracting Zip files for Software Installation.

8.	The -info command line option can be specified when running a self-extracting Zip file created by WinZip Self-Extractor 2.2. If this option is specified, the self-extracting Zip file will not perform its normal operations but will instead simply display a message box showing the command line parameters needed to recreate the self-extracting Zip file. The parameters are displayed regardless of whether the command line or the WinZip Self-Extractor Wizard was used to create the self-extracting Zip file.

For example, if you have a self-extracting Zip file named test.exe, typing

test -info

at the command prompt might display something like "-win32 -le -overwrite".  These are the command line parameters you would specify to wzipse32.exe to re-create the self-extracting Zip file with the same set of options.

In addition to providing information about how a self-extracting Zip file was created, the  -info command line option can be used to determine how to create a Wizard-generated self-extracting Zip file from the command line.

Note: an * (asterisk) in the option list displayed by -info means that the appropriate filename must be specified in that location.

9.	The WinZip Self-Extractor Wizard supports two methods of spanning:

Safe Spanning method   Selecting the Safe method causes the WinZip Self-Extractor to place the self-extracting .exe program on the first disk, while the file parts on the remaining media have the .zip extension. The purpose of using multiple extensions in the Safe method is to prevent abnormal extraction results from occurring. The Safe method is the default method.

Old Spanning method   In contrast, the Old spanning method places files of the same name on all of the removable disks. This is potentially dangerous because running the identically named self-extracting .exe files contained on each disk in the improper sequential order can result in abnormal extraction results.

Related Topics:

Technical support

Solutions to common problems

Tips for creating self-extracting Zip files for Software Installation


Tips for creating self-extracting Zip files for Software Installation

A self-extracting Zip file for Software Installation takes a bit more work to set up than a Standard self-extracting Zip file, but provides a more professional looking installation.  If you are having trouble getting a self-extracting Zip file for Software Installation to work, try these tips:

1.	Try building a Standard self-extracting Zip file.  If a Standard self-extracting Zip file works, check the Wait for field in the Wizard, or the -wait parameter if you are using command line options.  If you are using InstallShield, be sure you have version 3.0 and have included the file _isdel.exe in your Zip file.

2.	Keep in mind that a self-extracting Zip file for Software Installation is designed to work with installation programs that would normally copy all files from a diskette or CD-ROM.  A self-extracting Zip file for Software Installation unzips files to a temporary folder, runs the command you specify, and when that command completes, it deletes all the temporary files, without regard to any further processing you have planned for the extracted files.  Therefore, it is necessary for the setup command to make permanent copies of files extracted from the self-extracting Zip file before it terminates, if permanent copies are needed, just as the setup command would need to copy files from a diskette or CD-ROM.  Self-extracting Zip files for Software Installation always unzip to a temporary folder; if you need to unzip to a specified folder, you must use a Standard self-extracting Zip file.

3.	The following applies only if you are using Visual Basic's Application Setup Wizard.  This Setup Wizard creates a two-step installation process, similar in some ways to InstallShield's setup/_isdel pair of application setup programs.  Such a Visual Basic application installation begins when the program named "setup" runs.  The setup program launches, in turn, a program named setup1 (or, if you are using a 32-bit edition of Visual Basic, a program named setup132).  The setup1[32] program completes the application installation procedure.  If you wish to package such a Visual Basic application installation procedure in a software installation self-extractor, you will need to specify

setup

as the default command to execute after the unzip operation completes, and

setup1 (or setup132)

as the "Wait For" command, either in the appropriate WinZip® Self-Extractor Wizard panel, or via the WinZip Self-Extractor command line options.  Failure to specify setup1 (or setup132) as the "Wait For" command could result in WinZip Self-Extractor prematurely deleting your application setup files, resulting in an incomplete installation or in some other error.

While it is possible that WinZip Self-Extractor will not be able to wait for your install program, please check the “WinZip Self-Extractor” page on the WinZip site for the latest information.  If you have questions, let us know.

Related Topics:

Technical support

Hints and tips

Solutions to common problems


System requirements

•	The documentation assumes you know how to use Windows and how to create Zip files.

•	WinZip® Self-Extractor does not create Zip files, so you need a utility such as WinZip that creates Zip files.

•	WinZip Self-Extractor 2.2 requires Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000 or Windows Me.  Self-extracting Zip files created by WinZip can be run under any of the same Windows versions.


Installation

To install WinZip® Self-Extractor simply run the SETUP program on the distribution disk and follow the prompts.  This will install the files and create a program group called WinZip Self-Extractor.


Uninstallation

WinZip® Self-Extractor includes an “uninstall” facility.  To uninstall:

1.	Choose Programs from the Start menu.

2.	Click WinZip Self-Extractor in the resulting programs menu.

3.	Click Uninstall WinZip Self-Extractor.


Creating self-extracting Zip files

To create a self-extracting Zip file, first create a standard Zip file, then start WinZip® Self-Extractor.  You can do this in one of three ways:

•	From the Start menu: click Start, then Programs, then WinZip Self-Extractor.

•	From WinZip: choose Make .Exe File from the Actions menu and use the WinZip Self-Extractor Wizard.  (Before doing this the first time you must provide WinZip with the filename and location of WinZip Self-Extractor.  To do this, choose Configuration from the Options menu and click the Program Locations tab.  Specify the full WinZip Self-Extractor filename, including folder information, in the Make EXE field.  Note: WinZip Self-Extractor will offer to do this for you when it is run for the first time on your system if it detects WinZip installed on your system.)

•	From the DOS prompt.  Command line options are required for this choice.  See Command line options for further information.

Note:	When the self-extracting Zip file is run, any folder information stored in the Zip file will automatically be used.


Password security

To create a password-protected self-extracting Zip file, simply use password protection on the standard Zip file being used.  WinZip® Self-Extractor will automatically create a password-protected self-extracting Zip file; the user will be prompted for the password when the self-extracting Zip file is run.  Unless the correct password is supplied, the files will not be extracted.

If the standard Zip file is not password-protected, then the self-extracting Zip file won't be password-protected either.

To create a password-protected standard Zip file using WinZip, choose Password from the Options menu and specify a password before adding files to the Zip file.

About password security

WinZip uses the industry standard Zip 2.0 encryption format.  Password protecting files in a Zip file provides a measure of protection against casual users who don't have the password and are trying to determine the contents of your files.  The Zip 2.0 encryption format, however, is not as secure as DES and the RSA public key formats used by programs such as PGP, and does not provide absolute protection against determined individuals with advanced cryptographic tools.

If you require strong encryption, we recommend you use a specialized encryption software instead of the Zip 2.0 encryption format.


Command line options

Command line options can be used to automate the creation of self-extracting Zip files in batch (BAT) files, make files, application scripts, and similar automated processing environments.  When command line options are specified, the interactive WinZip® Self-Extractor Window is normally not displayed.

The general command line format is:

wzipse32[.exe] filename[.zip] [options]

For detailed command line syntax, see Command line options for Standard self-extracting Zip files and Command line options for self-extracting Zip files for Software Installation.

Response files

The length of a command line is limited by Windows (the allowed length varies, depending on the version of Windows you use).  If you can't fit all of the options you need into a command, you can put command line options into a text file and specify the filename using “@filename”.  For example, if the text file standard.inp contains the lines

-compact -d c:\modem
-m c:\folder\greeting.txt
-nooverwrite

you can use the command

wzipse32 filename.zip @standard.inp

to build a self-extracting Zip file using the options in standard.inp.

Using the -info command line option

The -info command line option can be specified when running a self-extracting Zip file created by WinZip Self-Extractor 2.2 (not when running WinZip Self-Extractor itself). Specifying this option causes the self-extracting Zip file to display a message box showing the command line parameters needed to recreate the self-extracting Zip file. The parameters are displayed regardless of whether the command line or the WinZip Self-Extractor Wizard was used to create the self-extracting Zip file. In addition to providing information about how a self-extracting Zip file was created, -info can be used to determine how to create a Wizard-generated self-extracting Zip file from the command line.

Note:	An * (asterisk) in the -info display means that the appropriate filename must be specified in that location.


Command line options for Standard self-extracting Zip files

Valid options when building Standard self-extracting Zip files are:

-y	Automatically respond "yes" to the "overwrite file" prompt, and do not display password warning message. Required for non-interactive operation from the command line.
-d folder	Default "Unzip To" folder.
-i filename	File containing icon for the self-extracting Zip file (standard .ico file format).
-m filename	Message (comment) file displayed when the self-extracting Zip file is run.  The default is WINZIPSE.DIZ if it exists in the folder containing the Zip file. The  -m  option can also be specified as -mok, -mokcancel,  -myesno.  -m is the same as -mok and results in an OK button in the splash screen message dialog box. The other variations allow you to change the response buttons that display.
-le	Language English.
-lg	Language German.
-o	Overlook following switches. If you use a -c option and the command that follows it takes parameters that are similar to those of WinZip® Self-Extractor, place the -o option before the -c option to tell WinZip Self-Extractor to ignore any parameters after the -c option.
-overwrite	Overwrite check box in self-extracting Zip file is initially checked.
-nooverwrite	Overwrite check box in self-extracting Zip file is initially not checked.
-auto	The Unzip button is automatically pressed when the self-extracting Zip file is run. Use this feature with caution: if you are planning to post this file on the Internet or an online service like AOL or CompuServe, you should be aware that some sysops refuse to accept files that unzip without a prompt.
-st”title“	Specify the text for the title bar of the self-extracting Zip file's splash screen.
-a filename	File containing extra text for the self-extracting Zip file's “About” dialog box
-c command	Default command to execute after unzip operation completes.  If specified, this option must be last. This command will be issued from the user's Unzip To Folder, so folder information is generally not needed in this command.  For details see Command to issue after unzip operation completes.
-spanexe drive	Create a self-extracting Zip file that spans multiple removable disks using the specified drive with the Old spanning method.  For further information about spanning methods, read Creating a self-extracting Zip file that spans multiple removable disks.  We recommend that you use -spanzip rather than -spanexe when possible
-spanzip drive	Create a self-extracting Zip file that spans multiple removable disks using the specified drive with the Safe spanning method.  For further information about spanning methods, read Creating a self-extracting Zip file that spans multiple removable disks.
Example of usage:

wzipse32 filename -d c:\modem -c winhelp modem.hlp

This command turns filename.zip into a self-extracting Zip file called filename.exe.  The default "Unzip To" folder is "c:\modem" and the command that is automatically executed after the unzip operation completes is "winhelp modem.hlp".

Note:	You can place command line options into a response file as described in the topic Command Line Options.


Command line options for self-extracting Zip files for Software Installation

Valid options when building self-extracting Zip files for Software Installation are:

-setup	Create a self-extracting Zip file for Software Installation.
-t filename	File containing text for the main self-extracting Zip file dialog box.
-i filename	File containing icon for the self-extracting Zip file (standard .ico file format).  This icon will be used for the .exe file and in the mail dialog box.
-a filename	File containing extra text for the self-extracting Zip file's “About” dialog box
-wait name	Wait for name instead of the command to complete. See Command to issue when unzip operation completes for more information on this option.
-ishield3	Special option required for InstallShield 3.0 and InstallShield 3.0 SDK Edition users. See Command to issue when unzip operation completes for more information on this option.
-le	Language English.
-lg	Language German.
-auto	The Unzip button is automatically pressed when the self-extracting Zip file is run. Use this feature with caution: if you are planning to post this file on the Internet or an online service like AOL or CompuServe, you should be aware that some sysops refuse to accept files that unzip without a prompt.
-st”title“	Specify the text for the title bar of the self-extracting Zip file's splash screen.
-m filename	Message (comment) file displayed when self-extracting Zip file is run.  The default is WINZIPSE.DIZ if it exists in the folder containing the Zip file. The  -m  command can also be specified as -mok, -mokcancel,  -myesno.  -m is the same as -mok and results in an OK button in the splash screen message dialog box. The other variations allow you to change the response buttons that display.
-c command	Default command to execute after unzip operation completes. This option must be specified last. This command will be issued from the folder specified by the user's TEMP environment variable, so folder information is generally not needed in this command. You must specify a command name, not just a filename. See Command to issue when unzip operation completes for details.
-o	Overlook following switches. If you use a -c option and the command that follows it takes parameters that are similar to those of WinZip® Self-Extractor, place the -o option before the -c option to tell WinZip Self-Extractor to ignore any parameters after the -c option.
-spanexe drive	Create a self-extracting Zip file that spans multiple removable disks using the specified drive with the Old spanning method.  For further information about spanning methods, read Creating a self-extracting Zip file that spans multiple removable disks.  We recommend that you use -spanzip rather than -spanexe when possible
-spanzip <drive>	Create a self-extracting Zip file that spans multiple removable disks using the specified drive with the Safe spanning method.  For further information about spanning methods, read Creating a self-extracting Zip file that spans multiple removable disks.
Notes:

•	You can place command line options into a response file as described in the topic Command line options.

•	To create a self-extracting Zip file for Software Installation via the command line without using the Wizard interface, you must specify at least

both the -setup and -c options

or

the -ishield3 option

Other command line switches are optional.

Example of usage

wzipse32 filename -setup –t main.txt -c setup.exe

This command converts filename.zip into filename.exe, a self-extracting Zip file for Software Installation.  The -setup option specifies that this will be a self-extracting Zip file for Software Installation.  The text for the main dialog box will come from the file main.txt.  After unzipping, the self-extracting Zip file will automatically run setup.exe.


Running a self-extracting Zip file

To extract or "unzip" files in a self-extracting Zip file, simply run the .exe file.  You can do this as follows:

•	Choose Run from the Start menu, type the full filename of the self-extracting Zip file, and press the Enter key.

•	Or, type the full filename of the self-extracting Zip file at the system command prompt, then press the Enter key.

Details on running Standard self-extracting Zip files:

When a Standard self-extracting Zip file is run, a dialog box is displayed with options to control

•	the folder to which files are unzipped,

•	whether files are overwritten automatically or whether prompts are issued before each file is overwritten, and

•	whether to run the optional command which was specified when the Zip file was created.  This check box is hidden if no optional command was specified.

The Unzip button unzips all files to the specified folder.

The Run WinZip button opens the self-extracting Zip file with WinZip® (assuming WinZip is installed on your system).  This gives you the ability to extract and view individual members, create a program group, move the Zip file, etc.

The Close, About, and Help buttons close the self-extracting Zip file, display copyright information, and display basic usage information, respectively.

Details on running self-extracting Zip files for Software Installation:

When a self-extracting Zip file for Software Installation is run, the resulting dialog box contains three buttons: Setup, Cancel, and About.  These buttons will run the specified command in the Zip file, close the self-extracting Zip file, and display copyright and usage information, respectively.

Note:	If you run a self-extracting Zip file from another program, you can pass the /auto parameter to unzip the files without user interaction.  This option has the same effect as clicking the Unzip or Setup button when the main dialog box is displayed, and, if the unzip operation is successful, clicking the Close button.


Using the WinZip® Self-Extractor Wizard
Using the WinZip Self-Extractor Wizard

The WinZip® Self-Extractor Wizard provides an easy-to-use interface for building self-extracting Zip files. Just click the Next button to step through a series of panels that lead you through the process of creating a self-extracting Zip file.  You can click Back at any time to change settings in a previous panel.  Click the Help button in any panel for details on the options controlled by that panel.


Two kinds of self-extracting Zip files

Standard self-extracting Zip files

Standard self-extracting Zip files are easy to build and are ideal for sending documents, graphics, and other files to co-workers and associates.  They are also suitable for simple software installation.  Standard self-extracting Zip files can display a greeting message when they are run.  You can specify the default Unzip To folder, whether the Overwrite files without prompting box is initially checked, and a command to run after the unzip operation completes.

Self-extracting Zip files for Software Installation

Self-extracting Zip files for Software Installation take a bit more work to set up, but provide a more professional looking installation. You can customize the icon and text displayed in the self-extracting Zip file's dialog box.  The self-extracting Zip file will create a temporary folder, unzip the files into the specified folder, run your setup program, wait for it to complete, then delete the temporary folder created in the first step.

For details on the differences, see Detailed differences between the two kinds of self-extracting Zip files


Creating a self-extracting Zip file that spans multiple removable disks

Removable storage media such as diskettes have very limited storage capacity.  Sometimes, self-extracting Zip files you create will not fit onto a single diskette.  In this case, you can ask WinZip® Self-Extractor to save one self-extracting Zip file across multiple diskettes.  This process of creating a self-extracting Zip file that occupies multiple disks is called "spanning".

When you span self-extracting Zip files across multiple disks using WinZip Self-Extractor, no special software is required during extraction.  Your users are simply prompted to insert any additional disks in the multiple volume set at the appropriate time during extraction.

To make use of the spanning feature to create a single self-extracting Zip file on more than one removable disk:

1.	Check the Span multiple removable disks check box in the appropriate WinZip Self-Extractor Wizard panel and click Next.

2.	Choose a spanning method and click Next.  The WinZip Self-Extractor supports two spanning methods, as follows:

Safe Spanning method: WinZip Self-Extractor creates two files on the first disk: a Zip file with the first portion of your compressed data, and a small .exe file with the executable code that is required to extract your data.  The second and subsequent disks contain Zip files with the remaining portions of your compressed data. The Safe method is the default, and recommended, method.

Old Spanning method: in contrast, the Old spanning method places a larger .exe file on the first disk; the file contains both the executable code used to extract the compressed data and the first portion of that data.  The second and subsequent disks contain the remaining portions of your compressed data, in files that (even though they don't actually contain any executable code) have an extension of .exe.  This is potentially dangerous because, if a user inadvertently tries to run the .exe file on the second or succeeding disks, random error messages, and even system hangs, can occur.

The Old spanning method is available for compatibility with some other Zip utilities, which create self-extracting Zip files with .exe extensions on each disk.

3.	Specify an output drive to use during creation of the self-extracting Zip file.  This is the drive into which you must place the required multiple disks as the WinZip Self-Extractor Wizard prompts you during creation of the self-extracting Zip file. Choose a drive letter in the Select output drive list box and click Next to continue creating the self-extracting Zip file.

Automatically Erasing Disk Contents

When you choose the spanning option and you actually begin to create the spanned self-extracting Zip file, a dialog box appears prompting you to insert a diskette into the specified drive. Check the Erase any existing files on the new disk before continuing check box to automatically have the WinZip Self-Extractor Wizard erase any files that may already exist on the inserted diskette.

Notes:

•	This dialog box will appear for each disk that you insert as you create the spanned disk set.

•	WinZip Self-Extractor cannot format disks.  All of the disks that you use with WinZip Self-Extractor must already be formatted.


Which Zip file would you like to make into a self-extracting Zip file?

WinZip® Self-Extractor turns an existing Zip file (with a .zip file type or extension) into a self-extracting Zip file.  The self-extracting Zip file will have the same filename as the original Zip file.  The file type will be .exe.

Type the full filename of the Zip file, or click the Browse button to search for a Zip file.

Click the Run WinZip button if you would like to create a Zip file using WinZip.  Then choose Make .Exe File from WinZip's Actions menu to return to WinZip Self-Extractor.

Once you have selected a Zip file, click Next to specify options, or Finish to create a self-extracting Zip file with the default options.


Creating a splash screen message

Self-extracting Zip files can display a greeting message box when they are run.  When you create these messages, you have the ability to:

•	create new message text,

•	use text saved, or

•	save the text you enter to file and use it later with another self-extracting Zip file.

WinZip® Self-Extractor also lets you customize the message title and message prompt with which the user responds to the message. The message prompt can be set as OK, Yes/No, or OK/Cancel.  The text below describes each action you may take in detail.

Note:	Leave the text message field blank if you do not want your self-extracting Zip file to display a greeting message.  Also, greeting messages can be up to 512 characters in length (512 characters is the longest message allowed by a standard Windows message box).  Because the exact size of the message window varies depending on your video configuration, the text you enter should contain carriage returns and line feeds only when you want a blank line to separate text.

When you create a message using the WinZip Self-Extractor Wizard, you can do any of the following:

Create new message text

Type the text of your message in the Enter message text box on the Wizard panel.  Because the exact size of the message window varies depending on your video configuration, the text you type should contain carriage returns and line feeds only when you want a blank line to separate text.

Use text from an existing file

Click Use text from an existing file to display the Browse dialog box and select an existing text file for use as a message with the self-extracting Zip file.  When you close the dialog box the text appears in the Enter message text box on the Wizard panel.

Save message text to file

After filling in the text of your message in the Enter message text box as described above, click Save this text to a file for reuse later to save the text to a file.

Enter a message title

Click the Enter a title for your message box or use the Tab key to move the cursor into it and type the message title you want to appear to users.  This is an optional field.  Leaving it blank causes the system to display the default WinZip Self-Extractor title in the message.

Specify a prompt

Choose a prompt from those that appear to the right of the Prompt using label. The prompt can be set to OK, Yes/No, or OK/Cancel.

When you finish specifying your message criteria using the Wizard panel controls, click Next to continue to specify more self-extracting Zip file options, click Back to return to previous options, or click Finish to create a self-extracting Zip file with the default options.  You may also click Close to close the WinZip Self-Extractor without creating a self-extracting Zip file.

Note: you may also create messages using Windows Notepad or a similar, compatible text editor.


Using Notepad to create messages

You can create messages using Notepad or other ASCII text editors.  However, formatting the text for use in a message can be tricky.  The exact size of the message window varies depending on your video configuration, so the text should contain carriage returns and line feeds only where you want a blank line to separate text.

One good way to create this file is as follows:

1.	Run Notepad.

2.	Check the Word Wrap entry in the Edit menu if it is not already checked.

3.	Type the text WITHOUT pressing the Enter key to end a line. In other words, let the Word Wrap feature wrap the text. Press the Enter key only when you want a blank line to separate text; in that case press the Enter key twice.

4.	Resize the Notepad window to a few different sizes to be sure the text looks "right," then save the file.


Default "Unzip To" folder

You can specify the default target folder for the unzip operation.  If you leave this field blank, the folder specified by the user's TEMP environment variable is used.  This is generally the best choice if your Zip file contains a setup program that will copy the unzipped contents of the Zip file to another folder.  If you do not have a setup program you will probably want to choose a name related to the contents of the Zip.  For example, you might use "c:\modem" for a Zip file containing a help file called "modem.hlp".

This field is the equivalent of the -d command line option.

Click Next to specify options, or Finish to create a self-extracting Zip file with the default options.


Command to issue after unzip operation

You can specify the optional command to execute when the unzip operation completes.  If you leave this field blank, no command will be issued.  The command should be in quotation marks if it contains spaces.

The command will be issued from the user's Unzip To folder, so folder information is generally not needed.  However, if the command you want to run is a file that is contained within the self-extracting Zip file, add ".\" in front of the command.  For example, if you want to run a file named setup.exe that is contained in the self-extracting Zip file, specify it as

.\setup.exe

This ensures that the correct setup.exe is run.

For Standard self-extracting Zip files you can specify either a filename or a command.  For example,

•	myfile.hlp

•	Myfile.doc

•	myfile.htm

•	Notepad mytext.txt

The self-extracting Zip file will use the Windows ShellExec API to run this command.

This field is the equivalent of the -c command line option.

Click Next to specify options, or Finish to create a self-extracting Zip file with the default options.


Creating an About box message

Self-extracting Zip files created using the WinZip® Self-Extractor display an About box when they are run. You can customize the text that displays in this box when it appears. When you create custom About box message text, you have the ability to:

•	Create new About box text,

•	Use About box text saved in an existing file, and

•	Save the About box text you enter to file and use it later with another self-extracting file.

Note:	Leave the text field blank if you do not want your self-extracting Zip file to display an About box message.  Messages can be up to 256 characters in length.  Because the exact size of the message window varies depending on your video configuration, the text you enter should contain carriage returns and line feeds only when you want a blank line to separate text.

When you create a message for display in the About box using the WinZip Self-Extractor Wizard, you can do any of the following:

Create new About box text

Type the text of your message in the edit box on the Wizard panel.  Because the exact size of the message window varies depending on your video configuration, the text you type should contain carriage returns and line feeds only when you want a blank line to separate text.

Use About box text from an existing file

Click Use text from an existing file to display the Browse dialog box and select an existing text file for use as a self-extracting Zip file's About box.  When you close the dialog box, the text appears in the text-editing box on the Wizard panel.

Save About box text to file

After filling in the text of your message in the edit box as described above, click Save this text to a file for reuse later to save the text to a file.

When you finish specifying your About box message using the Wizard panel controls, click Next to continue to specify more self-extracting Zip file options, click Back to return to previous options, or click Finish to create a self-extracting Zip file with the default options.  You may also click Close to end the self-extracting Zip file creation process and return to the Desktop or other active application.

Note: You can also create messages using Windows Notepad or a similar, compatible text editor.


Creating a software installation dialog message

WinZip® Self-Extractor supports the creation of a customized dialog box for self-extracting Zip files for Software Installation that displays at extraction time. The dialog box text may be saved to a file and reused later.

Note:	You can only create software installation dialog message text with self-extracting Zip file for the Software Installation. The Standard self-extracting Zip file dialog message cannot be customized.

When you create software installation message text, you have the ability to create new Software Installation dialog message text, use text from an existing text file, or save your message text to a new text file for reuse later.

Note:	Leave the text field blank if you do not want your self-extracting Zip file to display a message.  Dialog text can be up to 256 characters in length.  Because the exact size of the displayed dialog box varies depending on your video configuration, the text you enter should contain carriage returns and line feeds only when you want a blank line to separate text.

When you create a message for display in the dialog box using the Software Installation WinZip Self-Extractor Wizard, you can do any of the following:

Create new dialog message text

Type the text of your message in the edit box on the Wizard panel.  Because the exact size of the message window varies depending on your video configuration, the text you type should contain carriage returns and line feeds only when you want a blank line to separate text.

Use dialog message text from an existing file

Click Use text from an existing file to display the Browse dialog box and select an existing text file for use as a self-extracting Zip file for Software dialog box message.  When you close the dialog box and return to the Wizard, the text appears in the text-editing box on the Wizard panel.

Save dialog message text to file

After filling in the text of your message in the edit box as described above, click Save this text to a file for reuse later to save the text to a file.

When you finish specifying your dialog box message criteria using the Wizard panel controls, click Next to continue to specify more Software Installation WinZip Self-Extractor options, click Back to return to previous options, or click Finish to create a self-extracting Zip file with the default options. You may also click Close to close the WinZip Self-Extractor without creating a self-extracting Zip file

Note: you can also create messages using Windows Notepad or a similar, compatible text editor.


Icon for self-extracting Zip file

You can specify an icon to use for the self-extracting Zip file.  If you leave this field blank, the WinZip® Self-Extractor will use a default icon. Any icon file you choose must be in the standard Windows icon file format.  You can create files in this format with Microsoft AppStudio, the ImagEdit program distributed with the Windows SDK, or many third-party graphics tools.

Technical details: WinZip Self-Extractor will copy the 32 by 32 pixel and 16 by 16 pixel images from the specified icon file.  Only 16-color images are used.  If your icon file does not include a 16 by 16 pixel image, and you view the resulting self-extracting Zip file in “Small Icon” view,  Windows will display a shrunken version of your 32 by 32 icon image.

This field is the equivalent of the -i command line option.


Miscellaneous Standard self-extracting Zip file options

You can control the following Standard self-extracting Zip file options in this panel:

•	Whether the Overwrite files without prompting check box in the self-extracting Zip file is on or off by default.  This is equivalent to the -overwrite and -nooverwrite command line options.

•	Whether the self-extracting Zip file should unzip itself automatically.  This is equivalent to the -auto command line option. Use this feature with caution: if you are planning to post this file on the Internet or an online service like AOL or CompuServe, you should be aware that some sysops refuse to accept files that unzip without a prompt.

•	Whether English language or German language self-extracting Zip files should be built.  These radio buttons correspond to the -le and -lg command line options.

Click Next to view a summary of the options you have chosen, or Finish to create a self-extracting Zip file immediately.


Ready to create self-extracting Zip file

Click Next or Finish to build a self-extracting Zip file with the options shown.  If you would like to change some of the options, just click Back to move to the appropriate panel.


Self-extracting Zip file has been created

The self-extracting Zip file has been created with the options you specified.  Be sure to test it before distributing the file!  It is always a good idea to test under all target operating systems: for example, if your file is intended for all versions of Windows, test under Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Windows Me.  If the Test self-extracting Zip file now button is checked, the self-extracting file will be run when you click Next.


Create another self-extracting Zip file?

The final Wizard panel you see prompts Would you like to create a self-extracting Zip file from another Zip file?  Respond to the prompt.  Using the controls on this Wizard panel you may continue or end processing, or mail a self-extracting Zip file to another user.

To create another self-extracting Zip file using the WinZip Self-Extractor Wizard panels, choose Yes, take me through the wizard again and click the Next or Back buttons to proceed through the Wizard panels again.

To end WinZip Self-Extractor processing, choose No, I am finished and click the Exit button.

To mail the self-extracting Zip file to another user, click Mail Self-Extracting Zip File.  WinZip Self-Extractor will access your e-mail program to create a new e-mail message and attach the self-extracting Zip file to it.


Command to issue when unzip operation completes

You must specify a command to execute (usually “setup.exe”) when the unzip operation completes.  You can also specify a Microsoft format .INF file.  The command should be in quotation marks if it contains spaces.

The self-extracting Zip file will perform the following steps when the user clicks the Setup button:

1.	Create a temporary folder

2.	Unzip all files in the Zip file to the temporary folder

3.	Run the specified command

4.	Wait for the command to complete

5.	Remove all files in the temporary folder created in the first step

Notes:

•	These steps are designed to work with most setup programs, which copy files from a source folder (created in step 1 above) to a user-specified destination folder.

•	The self-extracting Zip file makes the temporary folder the “current working folder” before running the specified command, so you normally should not specify folder information in the Command to issue field.

•	The self-extracting Zip file uses the Windows CreateProcess API to run the command, unless you specified the name of an INF file, in which case the Windows ShellExec API is used.

Using the Wait for field:

The Wait for field is normally not needed, but INF files and some setup programs, including the one used by InstallShield 3, launch another program to handle the installation, then terminate immediately.  In these cases you need to use the Wait For field.  This tells the self-extracting Zip file that, before deleting the files in the temporary folder, it should wait for the program specified in Command to issue field, then wait for the name in the Wait for field.  When building self-extracting Zip files, you must specify the file name of the .exe file you want the self-extracting Zip file to wait for.

Note: if you have trouble with this option, one alternative is to use a Standard self-extracting Zip file.


Using Microsoft-format INF files
Using Microsoft-format .INF files

Self-extracting Zip files for Software Installation created by the WinZip® Self-Extractor can run many Microsoft-Format .INF files as an alternative to "setup" programs.  The format of .INF files supported by WinZip Self-Extractor is defined in the Microsoft Windows 95 Resource Kit.

Here are some tips for using .INF files:

•	Specify the .INF file as the command to execute, and RUNONCE as the wait command.  (RUNONCE is a Windows Utility that is executed whenever you use a .INF file for installation.  Waiting for RUNONCE will ensure the install is complete before the self-extracting Zip file cleans up the temporary folder and files it extracted.)

•	Since .INF files will not verify that the user wants to perform the installation, use the Yes/No or OK/Cancel options for the splash screen message dialog box.  Choosing Yes or OK will proceed with the install while No or Cancel will exit the install.

•	Since .INF files usually do not display progress information, consider (a) using text such as "Please wait for installation to complete" for the main dialog text and (b) choose the "Unzip automatically" option to make the dialog box appear as a busy dialog box while the INF file is run.

•	Be sure to test your setup program in all target environments.


Miscellaneous options for self-extracting Zip file for Software Installation

You can control the following self-extracting Zip file for Software Installation options in this panel:

•	Whether the self-extracting Zip file should unzip itself automatically.  This is equivalent to the -auto command line option. Use this feature with caution: if you are planning to post this file on the Internet or an online service like AOL or CompuServe, you should be aware that some sysops refuse to accept files that unzip without a prompt.

•	Whether English language or German language self-extracting Zip files should be built.  These radio buttons correspond to the -le and -lg command line options.


Notes for InstallShield users

The following notes apply if you are building a self-extracting Zip file for Software Installation and plan to run the SETUP.EXE program from InstallShield Software Corporation's InstallShield 3 or the InstallShield SDK Edition (distributed with Microsoft's Visual C++ 4.x disk).

•	When using InstallShield with self-extracting Zip files for Software Installation, you must include the InstallShield file _ISDEL.EXE in your self-extracting zip file.  _ISDEL is normally part of all distribution packages created with InstallShield 3.0, including the InstallShield SDK Edition on the Microsoft Visual C++ CD-ROM.  _ISDEL.EXE is not part of the InstallShield 2.x and is not included with the InstallShield SDK Edition on the Win32 SDK, so you cannot use WinZip® Self-Extractor to create self-extracting Zip file for Software Installation with these old versions of InstallShield.

•	You must either use the -ishield3 command line parameter or specify a value in the WinZip Self-Extractor Wizard Wait for field when running InstallShield's SETUP program from a self-extracting Zip file for Software Installation.  Normally the value in the Wait for field is automatically filled in.  This value should be _ISDEL when building 32-bit self-extracting Zip files.

•	Try creating your InstallShield 3.0 distribution files without any compression (use the -sn switch on the icomp command). Then zip the files using maximum compression.  Depending on the files you are distributing, this can result in smaller self-extracting Zip files.  For example, if you compress the WinZip 6.1 evaluation version distribution files with icomp, the resulting zip file is 12% larger that when you turn off icomp compression.

Note: InstallShield is a trademark of InstallShield Software Corporation.


Register WinZip Self-Extractor

Please enter your registration information exactly as you received it from WinZip Computing, Inc.  If you have trouble, please write to support@winzip.com.


Detailed differences between Standard and Software Installation self-extracting Zip files

	Standard	Software Installation
Receiver controls Unzip To folder	Yes	No; a temporary folder is created and later deleted
Receiver controls whether command is run after Unzip operation completes	Yes	No; the specified command is always run after the Unzip operation completes
Receiver controls whether files are overwritten automatically	Yes	Not applicable; files are unzipped into a newly created temporary folder
Optional greeting message is displayed when self-extracting Zip file is started	Yes	Yes
German and English versions available	Yes	Yes
Unzipped files are automatically deleted when command completes	No	Yes
Icon is configurable	Yes	Yes
Dialog text is configurable	No	Yes
To create a Standard self-extracting Zip file, choose the Standard self-extracting Zip file radio button in the second Wizard panel.  When using command line parameters, Standard self-extracting Zip files are created unless you specify the -setup switch.

To create a self-extracting Zip file for Software Installation, choose the Self-extracting Zip file for Software Installation radio button in the second Wizard panel.  Or, when using command line parameters, specify the -setup switch.

Related Topics:

Two kinds of self-extracting Zip files