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How to create a self extrator
A self extractor is an archive that contains a decryption engine built into it for easy extraction. This is useful for recipients who do not have an application that can extract archives or they do not have an application that supports strong encryption.
- Self extractors have a file size limitation set by Windows (usually 4 GB).
- Self extractors cannot be used on Mac OS
The right click method
This is an easy way to take a file and turn it into a self extractor in a few simple steps
- Right click on the file you wish to work with, select PKZIP/SecureZIP and the create self extractor option
- From the SFX (self extractor) Editor, edit any options you wish to include.
- Enter a passphrase or select a certificate to encrypt or click skip for no encryption
- Your self extractor will show up in the same location as your original file.
- To launch the self extractor, double click on it, select the folder you wish to extract or go with the default and then click OK. The
From within an existing archive
If you've already created a ZIP file, you can still create a self extractor using these steps
- Open the zip file you wish to create a self extractor from, Click on the save icon and in the Save type, select PKSFX
- From the SFX (self extractor) Editor, edit any options you wish to include.
- Enter a passphrase or select a certificate to encrypt or click skip for no encryption
Reassembling the split-archive
Place all the pieces of the archive in the same folder and then double click on the .zip file to reassemble.
