Repackaging custom windows updates/setups

[floko84]

Hello Unattenders,

making custom packages is what tweaking any software setup is all about.

I think the usual method is to simply create a sfx-archive with your favorite archiver, which I really dont like as I want packages that give me a nice visible setup when double clicked, with the option to make it unattended.

Inspired by this post I set out to find a newer version of this sfx, and preferably in english since that one has some turkish resources in it - and find it I did:

SfxCab features:

• subdirs in archive
  
• parameter passed to default action/command
  
• no config file clutter, very 3rd party unpacker friendly
  
• not signed like IExpress packages, i.e. some archivers may be able to modify it
  

SfxCab limitations:

• command must be an exefile without parameters
  
• can't override default command with something else
  
• no fancy icon, in fact no icon whatsoever
  

Make your own:

1. Compress your files
   cabarc -m LZX:21 -p -r N ..\outfile.cab *.*
   stub only works with LZX compression
   
2. Flag the executable
   open outfile.cab in a hex editor and edit the cab header for your executable like this:
   20 00 setup.exe => 60 00 setup.exe
   all other files should have a 20 00 flag - if not, use cabarc and not a 3rd party archiver
   
3. Build the sfx
   copy /b sfxcab.exe + outfile.cab outfile.exe
   

If you only have an MSI, use setupbld.exe from WIX 3.0+ to convert it to exe.

Find other "Self-Extracting Cabinet" stubs:

The attached stub is taken from the english IE7 setup, the cab-data starts at the 3rd occurrence of "MSCF".

Happy installing,

Flo

sfxcab.zip

Edited December 2, 2008 by floko84

[erpdude8]

sfxcab.exe file v6.2.29.0 does not work, floko84. produces "not a valid win32 application" error message, even when following all the steps correctly.

epic fail.

but I have an older version of sfxcab that seems to work. anyone can PM me if they want a working version.

Edited August 2, 2012 by erpdude8

[tomasz86]

V6.2.29.0 does work but not the file attached to #1.

You can get a working one from this update:

http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/f/d/5fdc6240-2127-42b6-8e16-bab6171db233/WindowsXP-KB898461-x86-ENU.exe

Download it and rename to any 8.3 filename, ex. "update.exe".

Download pcopy02.zip, extract partcopy.exe from it and use:

partcopy.exe update.exe 0 8E00 sfxcab.exe

"Sfxcab.exe" (you can use any other filename) v1.0.0.0 will be created which can be used instead of the one from #1.

[erpdude8]

thanks tomasz86, though I happen to find a newer version (6.3.15.0) while I was away. AND I had to mod it in PE Explorer to correct the "raw data values" in order for any sfxcab packages that I create to actually work.