Opening Installers

[erRor67]

OK, so I want to open, NOT install, an installer. Is that possible? I mean, like with zip and rar files, Ur able to open them and view its contents and from there, extract the files u want. Is that possible with installers? Just extract certain files WITHOUT installing? Any ideas?

[Chewie]

If you have the app that the installer was made with, you should be able to open it, but you'd have to know what that app was.

Alternatively, you could open explorer, navigate to your temp directoy, start the installer and watch it being extracted before installation. You can then copy the newly created folder/files to somewhere like your desktop and cancel the install process.

[Afronaut]

I thought installers was a bit like Advanced Zippers.

Like a rar/zip file but with some extra commands, where to extract the files,
writing stuff in registry etc...

Gotta try that Temp trick someday, but I guess even in that Temp
there is another installer. Sometimes those setup files are just
self extracting packs that runs the Real Setup file from Temp after
they are extracted.

Also, some apps makes them Setups somewhere else to be able to "reinstall"
the app without having the original Setup file.

Some smaller Setups should just extract themself to Ram and run from there, right?
I mean, if they was under 5MB or so...

Go figure.

[gildan2020]

hmm...i think most installers are just like one exe that cannot be extracted using any extractors out there
but trying to use wat it extracts in the Temp folder can be risky, u dunno wat kind of commands may be included to manipulate those files

i've seen one where there's not even a single exe file extracted to the Temp folder
i think wat Chewie UK said about getting the originating app (that created the installer) is worth a try

keep us notified


gildan2020

[Entity101]

Only CAB based installers can be 'extracted'.

Microsoft often uses those.

[[Spam]]

Originally posted by Error403@19 July 2004 - 10:57
Only CAB based installers can be 'extracted'.

Microsoft often uses those.

WinRar can open CAB based MS installers.