Extracted files from an exe file

[DIYspanner]

Certain programs you can download are extracted from an exe file before being installed.

Where does XP put these files that are extracted?

 

[joinerjohn]

All depends on the program being extracted and where the actual program (when run) looks for certain files. Some programs have many files in many different directories. You don't need to worry about these because the computer knows which files to look for when it's running the program you started.

 

[danechip]

Into "$temp" until installation is finished, after which they are deleted, then generally, the program files folder for the program itself.

 

[DIYspanner]

Thanks for that.

I assume $temp is a different folder to temp?

Where do I find $temp? - using search perhaps ?

 

[danechip]

Should be sommat like C:\users\user name\app_data\local\$temp for win 7 and 8.

Look here bud.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temporary_folder

Dan.

 

[chapeau]

Yes, a well designed program asks the operating system where to put temporary files, and the operating system will use the value of environment variables or other settings to answer. if you want to know the values of these environment variables you need to dig a bit.

So eg environment variables in XP

Control Panel
System Properties
Advanced
Environment Variables

and they are in there. the TEMP variable is a system setting and a user setting.

As to where the installer puts the files, that depends on how the installer is set up. If you want to know for sure then you will probably need software to monitor changes to the disk contents, then install.

 

[DIYspanner]

Thanks for the insight folks.

After searching through the various directories, I found that after initial extraction, XP places the extracted files in to a directory under

Local Settings/Temp in the user profile....

.....and you have to set Hidden Folders and System Files to show in Windows Explorer.

 

[Monkeh]

XP doesn't put anything anywhere, it's whatever program you ran which does that.

People above were getting confused with real OSes. What you are looking for is %temp%

 

[DIYspanner]

Fair point Monkeh - its the exe file code that decides where the extracted files go.


I'd tried

/extract:c:\xxx

and

/expand:c:\xxx

but both commands just invoked the exe file and it extracted to the directory it would anyway.

 

[chapeau]

What's a 'real OS' and why doesn't windows satisfy that requirement? Specifically with request to the OP question?

 

[Monkeh]

What's a 'real OS' and why doesn't windows satisfy that requirement? Specifically with request to the OP question?

$temp vs %temp%

 

[chapeau]

Ah I see...