Convert SFX
This menu allows you to convert an existing UHARC archive to a SFX (self-extracting) archive, an archive which is stored as an executable file (".exe" file) and has the ability to extract it's content itself. This means a user only needs the run SFX file in order to extract the content. No other software, except a win32-based operating system, is needed!
In addition UHARC/GUI provides various features to build SFX files that work as an installer. This is very usefull to release software and stuff. See the other tabs for those installer features!
Click Convert to SFX to create your SFX archive. You can choose the output file right after pressing this button. You also can press View Files to show the content of your archive.
Warning: Don't try to convert a password protected archive to a SFX archive, because this won't work!
Source Archive
Here you can choose the archive which you want to convert to a SFX archive. Just press Open Archive to open a specific archive.
SFX Title
Here you can enter the title of your SFX archive. This title should describe the content of your archive and will effect several installer features (install wiizard, uninstall wizard, startmenu entries, etc.).
Extract to Directory:
Here you can choose the directory to which the files will be extracted to. Note that this option only defines the default value. Of course the user can choose a different directory when he runs the SFX archive.
Display Background-Window:
If you enable this option your SFX archive will display a background-window, which covers the whole screen. Otherwise the background-window will be disabled.
Use WindowsXP Styles:
If you enable this option your SFX archive will use the new WindowsXP styled components. Otherwise the WindowsXP skinning system will be disabled for your SFX archive. Note: This option doesn't effect other operating systems at all.
Show UHARC/GUI Advertising:
If you enable this option your SFX archive will display an advertising message before it exits. This is done to support the authors of this software, so please don't disable this option!
Path Variables:
On each computer there exist so-called "special directories". These directories have a special purpose and are very important, espacially when creating installers. For example there is the Program Files directory, a directory where all applications are to be installed in.
Unfortunately the locations (paths) of all special directories can differ from computer to computer. For example the Program Files directory can be "C:\Program Files" as well as "C:\Programme" or might even be located on another drive ("D:\Program Files" or stuff).
So it's highly recommended to use "path variables" whenever it's neccessary to call special directories. Each path variable will always contain the correct location of it's corresponding special directory. For example use "<PROGRAMFILES>\My Application" instead of stuff like "C:\Program Files\My Application".
The following path variables are aviable:
<PROGRAMFILES> The computers's Program Files directory, a folder where applications should be installed to (usually C:\Program Files but detected at runtime)
<WINDIR> The computer's Windows directory, the root directory of the Windows operating system (usually C:\Windows but detected at runtime)
<SYSDIR> The computer's System directory, the directory where system files like DLLs, drivers, or system-applications are stored in (usually C:\Windows\System32 but detected at runtime)
<TEMP> The computers's TEMP folder, a directory that should be used to store temporary files (usually C:\Windows\TEMP but detected at runtime)
<DOCUMENTS> The user's My Documents directory, a folder where personal documents should be stored at (usually C:\Documents and Settings\<User>\My Documents but detected at runtime)
<MUSIC> The user's My Music directory, a folder where audio files should be stored at (usually C:\Documents and Settings\<User>\My Documents\My Music but detected at runtime)
<PICTURES> The user's My Pictures directory, a folder where image files should be stored at (usually C:\Documents and Settings\<User>\My Documents\My Pictures but detected at runtime)
<VIDEOS> The user's My Videos directory, a folder where video files should be stored at (usually C:\Documents and Settings\<User>\My Documents\My Videos but detected at runtime)
<DESKTOP> The user's Desktop directory, a folder where the desktop items are stored at (usually C:\Windows\Desktop but detected at runtime)
<FONTS> The cimputers's Font's directory, the folder where all installed fonts are stored at (usually C:\Windows\Fonts but detected at runtime)
<COMMONFILES> The computers's Common Files directory, a folder where files that are shared across several application should be stored at (usually C:\Progarm Files\Common Files but detected at runtime)
<APPDATA> The user's Application Data directory, a folder where applications should store data that refers to the current user (usually C:\Documents and Settings\<User>\Application Data but detected at runtime)
<EXEDIR> The directory where the installer executable itself is located (detected at runtime)