Self-Extract EXE to Temp and Auto-Run Setup Program

How to create a self-extracting EXE that extracts to a temp directory and auto-runs a setup program after extracting.

Download Chilkat C++ Libraries for VC++ 8.0 / Win32

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Download Chilkat C++ Libraries for VC++ 6.0 / Win32

#include <CkZip.h>

void ChilkatSample(void)
    {
    CkZip zip;

    bool success;

    //  Any string unlocks the component for the 1st 30-days.
    success = zip.UnlockComponent("Anything for 30-day trial");
    if (success != true) {
        printf("%s\n",zip.lastErrorText());
        return;
    }

    //  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) {
        printf("%s\n",zip.lastErrorText());
        return;
    }

    //  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.
    bool recurse;
    recurse = true;
    zip.AppendFiles("c:/temp/a/*",recurse);

    //  Indicate that when the EXE is run, it should automatically
    //  extract to a temp directory.
    zip.put_AutoTemp(true);

    //  If you want the EXE to self-extract with no user-interface,
    //  add this:
    zip.put_ExeNoInterface(true);
    zip.put_ExeSilentProgress(true);
    zip.put_ExeWaitForSetup(false);

    //  Indicate that after extracting, a setup program should be run:
    zip.put_AutoRun("setup.exe");

    //  Pass these command line params to the AutoRun program:
    zip.put_AutoRunParams("-a -b -c");

    //  Write "mySfx.exe"

    success = zip.WriteExe("mySfx.exe");
    if (success != true) {
        printf("%s\n",zip.lastErrorText());
        return;
    }

    printf("EXE Created!\n");
    }