Dialog Box Options

The Self-Extractor Settings dialog contains the following options:

Extract to

Specify the directory you want to be preset in the Extract to edit box in the main dialog of the self-extracting archive. You can enter either an absolute or a relative path. A relative path is relative to the current directory of the opened self-extracting archive. If Extract to specifies a nonexistent directory, the user will be prompted whether to create it. To extract files to the current directory, leave this field blank.

Samples of relative paths:
Gallery\Van Gogh
\Program Files\My Program
..\Pictures

At the beginning of the absolute path you can use one of the following variables:

Name	Description
$(Temp)	Temporary files directory. This variable should stand only alone (not followed by any path portion).
$(ProgFiles)	Program Files directory.
$(WinDir)	Windows directory.
$(SysDir)	System directory.
$[variable]	Value of an environment variable. Sample: $[windir]\Fonts
$<variable>	Value of a Registry key value. Sample: $<SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ProgramFilesDir>\Outlook Express

Allow user to change the directory

Allows the user to change the Extract to directory.

Execute command or open document

Here you can enter a command (with optional parameters), a document name, or an HTTP link (must start with http://). It is executed (or opened) when unpacking of the self-extracting archive finishes. In the case of a command or document name, you can enter an absolute or relative path (relative to the current directory of the opened self-extracting archive).

Samples:
setup.exe -x
doc\readme.txt
https://github.com/0xeb/sally

Remove extracted files

Removes files extracted to the temporary directory when the application (e.g., installer) specified in Execute command or open document finishes. This option is enabled only when unpacking to a temporary directory (Extract to is set to $(Temp)) and is useful for installation software.

Wait for

The Self-Extractor can also wait for a different application than the one specified in Execute command or open document. See Waiting for Another Application for details.

Texts

Defines text in the optional message box and the main dialog of the self-extracting archive. See Self-Extractor Texts dialog for details.

Language

Lets you choose the language version of the created self-extracting archive. If custom texts (texts specified in the Self-Extractor Texts dialog) have not been changed and you change the language, the texts are changed to the defaults of the currently selected language. If custom texts have been changed and you change the language, the following action depends on When SFX language changes in the ZIP Configuration. There are three variants: texts are changed to their default values, texts are left unchanged, or you are prompted whether to change their values to defaults or not.
Note: You can set the values of custom texts to their defaults in the Options menu or in the Self-Extractor Texts dialog.

Icon

Icon for the self-extracting archive. This icon also appears in the main dialog. Only an icon from an ICO file or from a Win32 executable can be loaded. Loading icons from 16-bit (e.g., Win 3.11 and older) executables is not supported.

Start extraction automatically

Starts extraction immediately after the self-extracting archive is opened, without displaying any user prompt.

Hide main self-extractor's dialog

Does not show the main self-extractor dialog and unpacks silently in the background. Error messages and overwrite prompts are still displayed. This option makes sense only when 'Start extraction automatically' is turned on.

Automatically create target directory

Creates the target directory (if it does not exist) without any user prompt.

Show operation summary dialog

Shows a message box reporting whether the extraction finished successfully and how many files were extracted in case of success.

Overwrite files automatically

Overwrites existing files in the Extract to directory without any user prompt. Caution: this also overwrites readonly/hidden/system files.

Requires administrative privileges

Starts the self-extracting archive with administrative privileges on Windows Vista and later (this will trigger UAC - User Account Control), so it can unpack files to write-protected folders (e.g., Program Files).

See Also