How to create a self extrator (2024)

A self extractor is an archive that contains a decryption engine built into it for easy extraction. This is useful for recipients who do not have an application that can extract archives or they do not have an application that supports strong encryption.

How to create a self extrator (1)

  • Self extractors have a file size limitation set by Windows (usually 4 GB).
  • Self extractors cannot be used on Mac OS

The right click method

This is an easy way to take a file and turn it into a self extractor in a few simple steps

  1. Right click on the file you wish to work with, select PKZIP/SecureZIP and the create self extractor option
    How to create a self extrator (2)
  2. From the SFX (self extractor) Editor, edit any options you wish to include.
    How to create a self extrator (3)
  3. Enter a passphrase or select a certificate to encrypt or click skip for no encryption
    How to create a self extrator (4)
  4. Your self extractor will show up in the same location as your original file.
    How to create a self extrator (5)
  5. To launch the self extractor, double click on it, select the folder you wish to extract or go with the default and then click OK. The
    How to create a self extrator (6)

From within an existing archive

If you've already created a ZIP file, you can still create a self extractor using these steps

  1. Open the zip file you wish to create a self extractor from, Click on the save icon and in the Save type, select PKSFX
    How to create a self extrator (7)
  2. From the SFX (self extractor) Editor, edit any options you wish to include.
    How to create a self extrator (8)
  3. Enter a passphrase or select a certificate to encrypt or click skip for no encryption
    How to create a self extrator (9)

Reassembling the split-archive

Place all the pieces of the archive in the same folder and then double click on the .zip file to reassemble.

How to create a self extrator (10)

Related articles

How to create a self extrator (2024)

FAQs

How to create a self extrator? ›

In WinRAR shell either select "Create SFX archive" option in Archive name and parameters dialog, when creating a new archive or enter into an already existing archive and press "SFX" button.

Can 7zip create a self-extracting archive? ›

Create Self-Extracting Executable File in 7-Zip
  • Step 1: Gather Your Files. Get all your files together and highlight the ones you want to add to the self-extracting executable file. ...
  • Step 2: Add To Archive. ...
  • Step 3: Self-Extracting Options. ...
  • Step 4: Created File. ...
  • Step 5: What It Looks Like.
Mar 4, 2016

How to make a self-extracting rar? ›

In WinRAR shell either select "Create SFX archive" option in Archive name and parameters dialog, when creating a new archive or enter into an already existing archive and press "SFX" button.

How do I create a self-extracting archive in Windows 10? ›

Press the Windows Key + R. Type in iexpress, and press Enter. Check the box next to Create a new Self-Extraction Directive file if not already checked, and click Next. Enter a name for your archive and click Next.

How do I extract a self-extracting EXE file? ›

You can right click the file and select “Open Archive” or navigate to the file within 7-Zip and right-click and select “Open Inside”.

Is 7-Zip faster than WinRAR at extracting? ›

Is WinRAR better than 7-Zip? WinRAR can provide a faster speed and a variety of decompressed formats than 7-Zip. However, it's not free and can support only ZIP and RAR for compression. Meanwhile, 7-Zip can zip and unzip on Mac and PC both.

How do I automatically extract a Zip file? ›

How to create a self-extracting file using WinZip
  1. Download WinZip from the official WinZip website, then open WinZ.
  2. Click on the Create button in the toolbar and choose Self-Extracting Archive from the dropdown list.

Does Windows 10 have a file extractor? ›

You can zip and unzip files in Windows 10 just by right-clicking them. To zip files, right-click them and select the "Send To" option. To unzip files, right-click the ZIP and select "Extract all."

Are zip files self-extracting? ›

Self-extracting Zip files have an extension of . EXE and can be run as commands. When a self-extracting Zip file is run, the files in the Zip file are automatically extracted. This is convenient because the end user does not need an unzip program (such as WinZip) to extract files from these self-extracting Zip files.

How does a self-extracting archive work? ›

SFX archives are executable files that function by appending the content to be archived to a decompressor stub, which is what is executed upon running the file. This stub seamlessly decompresses and displays the file contents, saving the recipient from requiring specialized software.

What is the best extractor for exe files? ›

ezyZip is a free online utility for opening and extracting exe files online in your browser. It supports a myriad of other file formats and conversions. Unlike other online archive extraction utilities, ezyZip DOES NOT require you to upload or download files to a server.

How to create a 7Zip installer? ›

Step 2 - 7Zip your installers
  1. Go to the folder that has your .msi and your setup.exe.
  2. Select both the .msi and the setup.exe.
  3. Right-Click and choose 7Zip --> "Add to Archive"
  4. Name your archive "Installer.7z" (or a name of your choice)
  5. Click Ok.
  6. You should now have "Installer. ...
  7. Copy this .7z file to your c:\Install directory.
Jan 12, 2015

What is the app that extracts exe files? ›

Extracting EXE Files

7-Zip is a free, open-source archive program that can open EXE files as if they were an archive like a ZIP or RAR file. This will work with many EXE files, but not everyone. Right-click on the EXE file and select "7-Zip" → "Open archive". This will open the EXE file in the 7-Zip archive explorer.

What is Zip self extract? ›

A self-extracting Zip file is a Windows executable file (.exe). It will contain a Zip file and a small program to extract (unzip) the files in the Zip file. A user can run (execute) a self-extracting Zip file just as they run any other program: just double-click on the .exe file.

How do I create a self-extracting encrypted Zip file? ›

From within an existing archive
  1. Open the zip file you wish to create a self extractor from, Click on the save icon and in the Save type, select PKSFX. ...
  2. From the SFX (self extractor) Editor, edit any options you wish to include. ...
  3. Enter a passphrase or select a certificate to encrypt or click skip for no encryption.

Do you need 7-Zip to extract 7-Zip files? ›

They are practically the same as zip files. However, you will always need the 7-zip program to open 7z files, whereas zip files can be opened with any program intended for archiving or extracting. We recommend using zip files.

How do I create an archive in 7-Zip? ›

1) Select the files and/or folders you wish to zip, right click, hover to “7-Zip”, and click “Add to archive…” 2) Enter the name of the ZIP file you wish to create under “Archive”. Click the button on the right if you wish to save it to another location.

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