A majority of us here us Winrar SFX.

But Winrar has a major flaw in my opinion is that it can only extract to a single path.

Is there any compression software that can handle multiple paths.

Example if i have

file001.XXX <- extract to c:\download
File002.xxx <- extract to c:\temp
File003.XXX <- extract to c:\ images

In a single Self Extracting file.


Guys Check this out... http://www.powerarchiver.com/screenshots/

Winrar can extract to any path you type in "Path to Extract" :
C:\Temp should be %Temp%
C:\Images - > %Systemdrive%\Images
..and so on , you can use full paths also .

Under SFX Options - Modes , if you check the "Unpack to temp folder" it extracts to Temp by default but also deletes extracted files in Temp after you close the application
which is usefull for batch files or standalone appz .

Latest Powerarchiver has similar SFX feature but uses CAB files instead , but not 100% silent , the extract progress shows on screen with larger sfx files .

you dont understand what i said.

I have one SFX EXE file

within that file, for example: resides file1 file2 file3 and so on and so forth.
each one will extract to a different directory get it.?

Perhaps you could try 7zip:
http://www.7-zip.org/
FREEWARE

jaclaz

If there is, I haven't heard of it. Almost every good compression util I know can only extract to a single path (winrar, 7zip, winzip, pkzip, stuffit, power-archiver.....).

I was recently told of this utility - Paquet Builder - Create powerful Self-Extracting distributions. But other than that, I think your best bet is to resort to install-makers. Something like Inno-setup, WinInstall-LE (for MSI packages), AI-setup (MSI).

file001.XXX <- extract to c:\download
File002.xxx <- extract to c:\temp
File003.XXX <- extract to c:\ images

If Winrar can't , no one else can , try this :
you can try a chain extract , first exe calls the second one after extract :
Ex: Download.exe must have the path %Temp%\Temp.exe under "Run after extracting"
Same for the Temp.exe , calls Images.exe , so %Temp%\Images.exe .
The last one could clean the Temp folder so put 'cmd /c del /f /q %Temp%\*.*' to run after extract .

Compress all 3 in a main .exe file ,this one calls the first file (Download.exe) so:
Run After Extract : Download.exe
Path : %Temp%
Uncheck the "Unpack to temp folder" option

Hope its clear enough ..

yes i think there is one available to download

Simply store the folders and files in the SFX archive.

Using your examples, set WinRAR to extract to %systemdrive%, then store the following folders and files in the archive:

Download
file001.XXX
Temp
File002.xxx
Images
File003.XXX

Create the folders, copy the filles to them, then add them to a WinRAR archive.

Make a batch file to copy the 3 files to their respective folders, rar up the 3 files + the batch file to extract in temp mode. Run the batch after extraction.

thanks but i know how to do that.

what i want is a program... I guess it will be wise or installshield for now.

For me this is the easiest way. This is what I always do. But, Power-Archiver has the feature of multiple extract location.

Multiple files, here and there.
WinRAR can do it by storing the full path.

If it stores full path, won't it become absolute?
Will system variables still be usable?

AFAIK prathapml, you should still be able to use system variables. To the best of my knowledge WinRAR (or any other archive program) stores a full relative path. I don't believe there is ever an instance where drive letter is stored in the archive as well. (If anyone knows otherwise, please correct me.) So, if you want to have a bunch of files extracted to various locations on your system drive, you can set the archive to extract itself to %systemdrive% and archive all the files inside with their respective full paths relative to the root of the system drive. One drawback I can see to this is that user-specific variables can not be used. (You can't, for example, have the files in the archive extracted to your %userprofile% directory, because the folder structure within the archive is already set.) Since with a uA CD you will also be the one responsible for creating the user account, and will therefore know its name, this shouldn't be too much of an issue.

I hope this makes sense, because as I'm trying to read over it, I find that I'm only confusing myself. Just let me know if it needs further clarification, and I'll try again once I've gotten some sleep.

You have 2 choices. You can use store with full path or store full path with drive letter. First choice is the option to use. If I want to add WinRAR.exe and Internet Explorer.exe into the archive. Choose store with full path. Compress it into a self-extracter and set the extract destination to the root of the harddrive. When you extract, everything goes back to their destinations. This archive would contain Program Files folder with Internet Explorer folder and Internet Explorer.exe inside, also WinRAR folder with WinRAR.exe inside it.
With this, WinRAR can act similar to a simple installer.
The setting is in Files Tab -> File paths drop down box.
I have tested this and seems to work with system variables.I use this option mostly for my PC game saves. Makes it easy to restore them when the game is reinstalled later.

Edit: accepts %UserProfile% also.

Oh, it sure does. Thanks for the clarification.

Great idea. I've always just copied the saved games to my second hard drive and then copied them back after I've reinstalled the game. Now I can add my saved games to my uA CD and I will be ready to pick up where I left off as soon as I reinstall the games themselves. Or maybe I can go even crazier, and add even the games to the uA CD.

Hmmm..........

@Cartoonite
If you keep doing a few pre-defined operations (like installing your game, or copying saved files over to your new install) everytime, for that particular PC, having a batch-file plugin run from elsewhere on the hard-disk might be a good idea. Check it out and tell what you think.

I've read that post before prathapml, and it is definitely a great idea. I have the thread bookmarked and will be looking into it more once I've got my uA in and of itself working the way it is supposed to.

I just extract to %systemdrive% and use a full directory structure within.

so what do you do when you have pre-set it to extract to %systemdrive%\Windows, and I have specified in winnt.sif that the %windir% has to be "\WinXP" ?

fast and easy shortcuts, lol - comes to grief in unexpected conditions.

Then you'd use %systemroot% instead of %systemdrive%\Windows

Nooo......
I mean, if it was set as to be extracted to %systemdrive%.
And it has folders within, called "Program Files", "Windows", "Documents and Settings" - which might be fine for a specific machine, at defaults.

And I'd have changed the ProgramFiles dir and Profiles dir - for just one install. The rest are at defaults. The result would be that the above doesn't work, for the install which did not use defaults. No offense to you, its just that the bottom-line should be that no matter what the conditions, it should "just work" *EVERYWHERE* without any surprises.


As of now, using an installer (whether free like InnoSetup, or paid like InstallShield) might still be the only way to achieve the objective of extracting to different variable paths.

hahahahahhahahah u guys crack me up.

It's down to advantages and disadvantages?
Depends what you want for your install. Multiple archives can achieve this.
One thing I know of Inno setup, they corrupt very easy when burnt to cd, if big in size. So multiple installers may be needed as well?

....I'd imagine you'd customize the exe for a given unattended CD, so it still wouldn't be a problem. Seriously, you're way overanalyzing here.

Maybe so...but I could see it as being no fun to repackage a lot of files, because your company had a change of heart about how they want things deployed.

Me I'd suggest just acrhiving the files then setting it to extract to what ever the system drive is....then use a script to move things where ever they may need to go and delete any left overs afterwards.

May not be the most direct or fastest way, but to maintain it would be little hassle...if any.

I agree, just organize the files into folders and tell them to be extracted,
C:
-folder1
---file1
-folder2
---file2
-folder3
---folder3a....
and tell it to be extracted to C: and overwrite anything. This is of course assuming everything is installed to that Partition. If thats not the case, I would make one for each Partition. There are other ways, but thats as simple as it gets.

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I think the easiest way to do this would be with nested archives. Create one archive each to be extracted to each of your system variable directories. Then create a batch file that will run them all. Zip, rar, 7-Zip or whatever them all up into a single SFX that will extract itself into a temporary directory and run the batch after extraction. Your one main SFX could then be executed from wherever you like, and it will extract itself, extract each of the smaller ones to their specified locations, and then clean itself up when it's done.

Maybe this really isn't any easier than using an installer, but, since I know exactly zero about using any of the currently available installer programs, it's easier for me.

winrar can extract 7zip right but can it compress to 7z

No. It can only compress to rar and zip.

Cartoonite , that's kinda what I explained in my previous post .
You have a bigger SFX that extracts 3 smaller ones to any directory you point , I usually
use %temp% , then calls the first of the three which extracts , again , to a chosen map
then calls the second sfx,from "run after extraction" option , extracts and calls the third one , and so on ...

The "extract to temporary folder" option doesn't seem to work with more then two sfx's
somehow so better select a path to extract.
I prefer this method as no batch is needed to run each sfx , tho you need one to cleanup .
Not tested if the "start /wait" command works with sfx's if using batch ...

@Cartoonite and Whampoom
Of course, that route *IS* open. But it really is a lot of complex round-about.
Single-file and simple method - is installer (freeware ones exist too).

Keep 'em ideas coming.