InstallShield Self-Extracting EXE
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Not all editions of InstallShield supported creating self-extracting EXE files, and it's not uncommon to find InstallShield component files packaged in other ways (e.g. [[ZIP]]), or unpackaged. | Not all editions of InstallShield supported creating self-extracting EXE files, and it's not uncommon to find InstallShield component files packaged in other ways (e.g. [[ZIP]]), or unpackaged. | ||
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+ | Running the .exe with a `-s` flag seems to allow these to run silently and they then extract their contents into C:\users\<user>\Temp\ | ||
''[Ed. note: This article needs much more research and expansion.]'' | ''[Ed. note: This article needs much more research and expansion.]'' |
Revision as of 13:37, 3 June 2025
InstallShield Self-Extracting EXE is an executable installer file created by the InstallShield installation software for Windows.
This article is intended to cover only the outer-layer distribution file, and not the various executable and other component files that it may contain.
Not all editions of InstallShield supported creating self-extracting EXE files, and it's not uncommon to find InstallShield component files packaged in other ways (e.g. ZIP), or unpackaged.
Running the .exe with a `-s` flag seems to allow these to run silently and they then extract their contents into C:\users\<user>\Temp\
[Ed. note: This article needs much more research and expansion.]
Identification
For at least one version (3?) of InstallShield, ASCII "InstallShield Self-Extracting Stub Program
" appears beginning at offset 943.
Software
- STIX - Extracts from InstallShield v3 files. (DOS, OS/2)
- stix.zip (from SAC)
- [1] → stix.arj
- https://github.com/DeclanHoare/stix/
- ISx - InstallShield installer extractor. Claims to support InstallShield versions released from about 2003 to 2016.
- IsXunpack.exe - For InstallShield v7. Can be found in Universal Extractor. Source is this forum post.
- InstallShield Setup Extract (Probably very limited support.)
Sample files
Wanted: Lots more samples from different versions of InstallShield.