Creating multi-file .cab files

[random667]

You can use winrar or pretty much any other archiving software to extract and view files that are already stored in a .cab file, so i wont be going into detail about that.

I searched this forum for a way to add multiple files to a .cab, but i couldn't find the info, maybe i just missed it though.

I tried AlphaZip, but it was just way to slow and unresponsive, forcing me to smack my PC around a few times.

So i searched Google, and this is what i figured out.

Cab multiple files:

1. Get the "Microsoft Cabinet Software Development Kit" here

2. Run cabsdk.exe, extract all files to the windows/system32/ Directory.

3. Open a command prompt to the folder where the files you want to put in a cab are stored.

4. Enter this command, it will tell cabarc.exe to put all of the files in that directory into a cab file named "FileName.cab" with maximum compression:

cabarc -m lzx:21 n FileName.cab *

And thats all there is to it, easy when you know how.

Hopefully this info will save someone else some time.

Edited October 17, 2007 by random667

[ricktendo]

Thanks, I could use this (just have to memorize the switch)

[random667]

Thanks, but i think i ran into a problem.

After i modified my files and created a new DRIVER.CAB my unattended install goes really slow during the "Setup is copying files" portion of the install.

I even tried making the cab file with power archiver, but i still get the same problem.

If i put the original DRIVER.CAB back into the cd, then the setup goes back to normal speed.

Maybe i need to modifype the cab file or the files inside of it? or maybe there is some other options i am missing.

[computerwizkid]

To make a Cab file:

1.Make a folder having all the files you want for that cab file.

2.Download and Install WinRAR.Right-click the folder having the files for the cab file and click in WinRAR section "Add to archive.Select ZIP compression and on file name,backspace .zip with .cab.Make a name.

3.Click OK and You have a cab file.

I have been using this method for making cab files for my OS.

This method is one I created myself.

HAVE FUN!!!

[random667]

Thanks computerwizkid, I'll try that.

[phkninja]

Does that method actually work with windows???

By doing this does the file header not read as a zip file.

A proper method would be to use something like Tugzip that will create a cab file by

Right click on folder -> Add to ..... -> change the file type to cab

Or

Right click on folder -> Add to xxx.cab

where xxx is the folder name.

I prefer to open the folder and select all the files, right click and add to cab. That way you dont have the folder when extracting (eliminates a folder within a folder scenario)

[Zoinkity]

The structure of cabinet files is a little different from most other archive types, and I have yet to see a single program that appends to them in a sensible fashion.

Cabinets are divided into 'folders', which is to say that groups of files are compressed together, and that these groups are all archived into a single cab file. Folders aren;t like those on your filesystem; these are arbitrary groups you compress together because they have similar characteristics. Compression rate and decompression/seek speed is dependant on:

1) how large each folder is (in size and quantity)

2) how how well those files happen to compress together

3) type of compression used.

So, if you were, say, to just append the cabinet itself with an additonal file, that file probably wouldn't compress well, but the cabinet's seek/decompression rate would be about the same. However, if (like most utilities) it just tore the whole thing apart, stuffed everything into a single folder, and all that mess was compressed in one huge block of doom it would take for freaking ever to retrieve a single file from the end of your LZ compressed data.

So, I know that wasn't really helpful, but hopefully it was informative. Cabs are rather neat ;*)

[Ascii2]

Is it possible to store a directory structure in CAB archives?

[submix8c]

OK... search for something called CabPack (google it). I use it; it's a GUI interface for makecab (similar to cabarc) and will do everything needed/wanted. Be sure to get the "update" as well.

Here it is directly from the author -

http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/cabpack.htm

Info + download link for MS SDK -

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310618

(old thread, but there ya go...)

edit - forgot to mention - runs fine on ME/2K/XP/2K3

edit2 - points of interest (while searching for "makecab.ovl")

"(note: it renames makecab.exe to makecab.ovl)"

"Later makecab.exe versions are limited to specific windows versions."

Edited October 31, 2009 by submix8c