📦 WinSFXMaker

SelF eXtract Maker for Windows. ✅ Tested on Windows 10 / Visual Studio 2013 (Minimum build WindowsXP)

📖 Overview

WinSFXMaker is a very super simple install-sheild GUI tool for creating self-extracting (SFX) executables on Windows. It allows users to bundle ZIP archives into standalone .exe files that automatically extract and optionally run an installer or other program.

🔑 Key Features

✅ Easy-to-use SFX archive generator
✅ Custom post-extraction command support
✅ Lightweight and dependency-free portable exe binary.
✅ Intuitive GUI with file pickers
✅ ZIP file bundling into a Windows EXE
✅ Custom post-extraction execution (e.g., launch installer.exe)
✅ Logging support via log4cpp
✅ Resource management using SFXTemplate and res/

🛠️ Stacks

⚙️ Dev Environment

Platform: Windows (32-bit / 64-bit)
Language: C+ +ISO 14 with MFC and GDI+

🧩 Build Requirements

Visual Studio 2013 (v120 toolset)
MFC (Microsoft Foundation Classes)
Windows SDK

📁 Source Tree

/
├── Dialog/                # Dialog UI logic
├── Helper/                # Utility functions
├── SFXTemplate/           # Template EXE and metadata
├── UI/                    # Icons and GUI resources
├── ZipArchive/            # ZIP compression/decompression (minizip-based)
├── log4cpp/               # Integrated log4cpp source
├── res/                   # Resource files (icons, templates, etc.)
├── WinSFXMaker.*          # Core application logic
└── README.md              # Project documentation

📤 How to build (Visual Studio 2013 on Windows 10)

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/ahnshy/WinSFXMaker.git
cd WinSFXMaker

Open the solution:
- Launch WinSFXMaker.sln in Visual Studio 2013 or later
Choose build config:
- Select Release or Debug mode
- Choose x64 or Win32 platform
Build:
- Build ALL_BUILD or the WinSFXMaker target

🚀 How to Use

Launch WinSFXMaker.exe
Select the input ZIP file (e.g., setup.zip)
Specify output EXE file name (e.g., installer.exe)
Enter post-extraction command (e.g., setup.exe)
Click "Create SFX" to generate a standalone installer

🧰 CLI Mode

You can generate SFX files without the GUI by using command-line arguments.

✅ Basic Usage

WinSFXMaker.exe [options]

🧩 Options

| Option | Description | |------|------| | -p, --path <path> | Folder path to compress (required) | | -o, --output <file> | Output SFX file path (auto-generated if omitted) | | -i, --icon <file> | Icon file (.ico) | | -r, --run <file> | File to run after extraction (relative or absolute path) | | -v, --version <version> | Version string (e.g., "1.0.0.0") | | -n, --name <name> | Product name | | -c, --copyright <text> | Copyright info | | -d, --description <text> | File description | | -s, --silent | Run with no console output (Silent mode) | | -h, --help | Show help |

🧪 Examples

1) Basic

WinSFXMaker.exe -p "C:\MyApp"

Compresses C:\MyApp and creates C:\MyApp\MyApp.exe

2) Specify output path

WinSFXMaker.exe -p "C:\MyApp" -o "C:\Output\Setup.exe"

3) Run a file after extraction

WinSFXMaker.exe -p "C:\MyApp" -r "MyApp.exe"

Automatically runs MyApp.exe after extracting

4) Run a file in a subfolder

WinSFXMaker.exe -p "C:\MyApp" -r "bin\Release\MyApp.exe"

Automatically runs bin\Release\MyApp.exe after extracting

5) Absolute-path run target

WinSFXMaker.exe -p "C:\MyApp" -r "C:\MyApp\bin\Release\MyApp.exe"

The run target is automatically stored as a relative path (bin\Release\MyApp.exe) when possible

6) Include icon & version metadata

WinSFXMaker.exe -p "C:\MyApp" -o "C:\Output\Setup.exe" -i "app.ico" -r "Setup.exe" -v "1.0.0.0" -n "My Application" -c "Copyright 2024" -d "My App Installer"

7) Silent mode (for automated builds)

WinSFXMaker.exe -p "C:\MyApp" -r "Setup.exe" -s

Runs without console output

8) Show help

WinSFXMaker.exe --help

🖥️ Sample CLI Output

WinSFXMaker - CLI Mode
======================
Input Path:  C:\MyApp
Output File: C:\MyApp\MyApp.exe
Icon:        C:\icons\app.ico
Run After:   Setup.exe

Compressing files...
Preparing template...
Applying icon...
Applying version info...
Creating SFX file...

SFX file created successfully!
Output: C:\MyApp\MyApp.exe

🧱 SFX File Layout

Internal structure of the generated SFX file:

[EXE Template] + [ZIP Data] + [ZIP Size (8 bytes)] + [Run-File Info (optional)]

If run-file info exists:

[EXE Template] + [ZIP Data] + [ZIP Size (8 bytes)] + [RUNA Marker (4 bytes)] + [Path Length (4 bytes)] + [Path String] + [END! Marker (4 bytes)]

🧾 Log Files

When the program runs, it creates a log file next to the executable.

WinSFXMaker.exe → WinSFXMaker.log
MySetup.exe (generated SFX) → MySetup.log

📄 Log Format

[2024-12-25 12:34:56.789] [INFO] === WinSFXMaker Started ===
[2024-12-25 12:34:57.123] [INFO] Selected input path: C:\MyApp
[2024-12-25 12:34:58.456] [INFO] Create SFX button clicked
[2024-12-25 12:34:59.789] [INFO] SFX file created successfully: C:\Output\Setup.exe

📌 Notes

Ensure your post-extraction executable exists inside the ZIP archive
Some commands may require elevated privileges (UAC prompt)
You can customize the icon and stub using the res/ folder

💻 [Preview]

🔍 Acknowledgements

Product Design and Developed by ahnshy
Built with:
- Microsoft Win32 / MFC & GDI+
- log4cpp for logging
- minizip for archive management
Inspired by traditional SFX packaging workflows

📝 License

This project includes components like log4cpp and minizip, which are licensed under their respective open-source licenses. Please verify usage rights before redistribution. log4cpp LGPL 2.1 (Lesser General Public License v2.1) minizip zlib/libpng License

WinSFXMaker

Install / Use

README