Create a Self-Extracting Executable for Win98/NT4

How to create a self-extracting EXE that will run on Windows98/NT4.

The WriteExe method will create a self-extracting EXE that supports all languages. It can handle filenames in any language, as well as display customized titles and captions in any language. Unfortunately, it is not compatible with Windows 98 and NT4 for this reason. It is possible to create self-extracting EXEs that run on all systems from Win95/98/NT4 and up, including Vista, by calling WriteExe2, but the resulting EXE is not Unicode capable (it can only display ANSI strings in the EXE's user interface).

Download Chilkat Ruby Library

require 'chilkat'

zip = Chilkat::CkZip.new()

#  Any string unlocks the component for the 1st 30-days.
success = zip.UnlockComponent("Anything for 30-day trial")
if (success != true)
    print zip.lastErrorText() + "\n"
    exit
end

#  Initialize the zip object.  Because we're creating
#  a self-extracting EXE in this example, the filename
#  passed to NewZip will never actually be created.
success = zip.NewZip("notUsed.zip")
if (success != true)
    print zip.lastErrorText() + "\n"
    exit
end

#  Append a directory tree.  The AppendFiles does
#  not read the file contents or append them to the zip
#  object in memory.  It simply appends references
#  to the files so that when WriteExe (or WriteZipAndClose,
#  or WriteZip, etc.) is called, the files are compressed
#  and added to the archive.
recurse = true
zip.AppendFiles("c:/temp/a/*",recurse)

#  The WriteExe2 method allows you to use an alternate
#  self-extract program.  (The self-extracting EXE is an
#  executable with data appended to it.  When the EXE runs,
#  it locates the data and extracts (unzips) the contents.)

#  You may download a Win98 compatible program at this URL:
#  http://www.chilkatsoft.com/download/SaPayload98.zip.
#  Unzip it to get SaPayload98.exe
#  (It is called a payload because the Chilkat libs and DLLs
#  contain the default payload (Unicode compable) within the
#  .lib or DLL itself.)

#  The 1st argument to WriteExe2 is the payload file (i.e. the
#  self-extractor program).  The 2nd argument is the output file,
#  the remaining arguments control encryption.
success = zip.WriteExe2("SaPayload98.exe","mySfx.exe",0,0,"")
if (success != true)
    print zip.lastErrorText() + "\n"
    exit
end

print "EXE Created!" + "\n"