Create Self-Extracting EXE with Custom Icon, Auto-Run Setup, No Interface, ...

Download Chilkat .NET for 2.0 / 3.5 Framework

Download Chilkat .NET for 1.0 / 1.1 Framework

Demonstrates some of the options available for creating a self-extracting EXE in VB.NET.

    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click

        Dim zip As New Chilkat.Zip()
        zip.UnlockComponent("UnlockCode")

        ' Set this property to use an icon for the EXE that is created.
        zip.ExeIconFile = "box.ico"

        ' Use this property to automatically unzip when the EXE is double-clicked.
        ' True = EXE has no interface, False (the default) = EXE includes interface
        zip.ExeNoInterface = True

        ' Causes the EXE to automatically unzip to a pre-set directory.
        zip.ExeUnzipDir = "c:\temp\myApp"

        ' Causes the EXE to run a program (that was contained within the EXE)
        ' immediately after extracting.
        zip.AutoRun = "Setup.exe"

        ' Parameters can be passed to the AutoRun program.
        zip.AutoRunParams = "-x -a -b"

        ' Causes the creation of an EXE that has no interface,
        ' and automatically selects a temporary directory for
        ' unzipping.
        'zip.AutoTemp = True

        ' Initialize the Zip object and add some files.
        zip.NewZip("blahblahblah.zip")  ' <-- This is the file that would be written if WriteZip were called.
        zip.AppendOneFileOrDir("Setup.exe")
        zip.AppendOneFileOrDir("hamlet.xml")

        ' Create the self-extracting EXE.
        zip.WriteExe("myPackage.exe")

    End Sub

Important: The download for this example does not contain the ChilkatDotNet.dll which
must be downloaded and installed separately at http://www.chilkatsoft.com/downloads.asp.
Once installed, add a reference to the DLL in the project by following the instructions at
http://www.example-code.com/vbdotnet/step2.asp