Dialog Box Options

The Self-Extractor Settings dialog contains following options:

Extract to

Specify the directory you want to be preset in Extract to editbox in the main dialog of self-extracting archive. You can enter either absolute or relative path. Relative path is relative to the current directory of the opened self-extracting archive. If Extract to specifies non-existing directory, 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 user to change Extract to directory.

Execute command or open document

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

Samples:
setup.exe -x
doc\readme.txt
https://www.altap.cz/

Remove extracted files

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

Wait for

Self-extractor can also wait for other application than the one specified in Execute command or open document. See Waiting for Another Application for details.

Texts

Defines texts in the optional message box and main dialog of 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 Self-Extractor Texts dialog) were not changed and you change language, texts are changed to the defaults of currently selected language. If custom texts were changed and you change language, 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 values of custom texts to their defaults in Options menu or in the Self-Extractor Texts dialog.

Icon

Icon of self-extracting archive. This icon appears also in the main dialog. Only icon from ICO file or from Win32 executable could 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. It does not display any user prompt.

Hide main self-extractor's dialog

Doesn't show main self-extractor's dialog and unpacks silently at the background. But error messages or overwrite prompts are displayed. The option make sense only if 'Start extraction automatically' is turned on.

Automatically create target directory

It creates target directory (if it's not existing) without any user prompt.

Show operation summary dialog

Shows message box informing whether the extraction was finished successfully and how much files were extracted in case of success.

Overwrite files automatically

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

Requires administrative privileges

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

See Also