Compressing files in the $Progs folder

[Doctor Trout]

Right, just to check that I've got this right, if I put something in the $OEM$/$Progs folder, it'll be copied to the Program Files folder during install, yeah? Okay, next question, can I compress the files I put there? Or if I do, do I have to specify that I want them to be uncompressed during install?

Also, where would I put shortcuts to be added to the start menu? Or is that not possible?

And, last question, how would I add some shortcuts to the sendto folder?

Sorry for the flood of questions. Thanks.

[bledd]

OEM folders are copied as is, ie, don't get compressed..

create a shortcut before hand, name it what you want, then copy it to here..

$OEM$\$Docs\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\

$OEM$\$Docs\username\SendTo

(it might work to make a SendTo link in the All Users section, i remove SendTo so i don't know)

what you could do is compress your program files folders with 7zip to make a 7z file, then use command line 7zip (7za.exe) during cmdlines or whenever to uncompress the file to program files.. thats what i do

-also, this is nothing to do with nlite!

Edited August 21, 2006 by bledd

[Doctor Trout]

<<-also, this is nothing to do with nlite!>>

Whoops - sorry about that. I was thinking that the OEM folder thing only worked with nLite - not an expert on unattended CDs, as you may have guessed!

Thanks a lot for your help there (feel free, mods, to move this to the unattended section).

<<what you could do is compress your program files folders with 7zip to make a 7z file, then use command line 7zip (7za.exe) during cmdlines or whenever to uncompress the file to program files.. >>

Yeah, that sounds just the kind of thing I want to do! Does that take a long time to uncompress and copy, or is it fairly quick? I guess it depends on size and compression, but, I mean, say 100 megs compressed at ultra compression, is that going to take a couple of minutes, or longer?

I'm also going to have to ask you - how do I write a command to unextract files from a 7zip file? I'm guessing I compress all my files that I want in Program Files into 1 7zip file and put that in $OEM$/$Progs (I'm assuming it would be better to compress all the files in one file, rather than all seperately). Then I put 7za.exe in $OEM$ with cmdlines.txt and then write the command in cmdlines.txt? But, sorry, you're going to have to help me with what to write - I'm not very good at these command things yet...

Thanks a lot.

[T D]

100 megs? Maybe... 1 and a half minutes? More?

As to the last part, read this on DetachedProgram http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/v.../#guiunattended

Make a batch that calls 7za.exe and expands the files.

[bledd]

i don't mind helping, since you're on the right track and just new to this, everyone is new at something somepoint

http://www.7-zip.org/download.html

the 7zip command line version is there.. (7za.exe)

if you place it in..

$OEM$\$$\system32

then you can call the program (7za.exe) without having to put a path in, because your pc looks at system32 as a default folder..

so place all the files you want as you want them into $progs, then highlight all the folders in $progs, do add to 7z, ultra, click ok.. called it say programs.7z

^delete the old contents of $progs, so you just have programs.7z

then to extract it the command would be..

7za x programs.7z

-if you look at the 7zip.chm file they give you, its got some help under 'commands' saying how to extract and compress. the extraction process is a LOT faster than the compression

-personally i use runonceex.cmd to run my commands http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/31/

also, checkout cmdow.exe if you put that into system32 folder, then add this to the top of each batch file you use, it'll hide it from view.. -worth checking to see if your batches work 100% before putting that in, or they'll just pause and you won't know why.. download link here.. http://www.commandline.co.uk/cmdow/index.html

cmdow @ /HID

cheers

Edited August 23, 2006 by bledd