How to Create Self-Extracting Archives on Windows 10 & 11

Many of us have created a compressed archive over the year, but did you know you can create a self-extracting or self-installing package with IExpress built into Windows? Here's how.

Press the Windows Key + R. Type in iexpress, and press Enter.

Check the box next to Create a new Self-Extraction Directive file if not already checked, and click Next.



Enter a name for your archive and click Next.



Choose whether to Prompt or No prompt and click Next. Most people will use No prompt (default).

Choose whether to Display a license or Do not display a license and click Next.

Click on Add, and File Explorer will open to add files to your self-extracting archive. You can use Ctrl + A to select all files in a folder.

Click on Next.



You can now add programs or INF files and post-install commands and click Next.

On the next screen, you can choose how to show the install window - Default, Hidden, Minimized, or Maximized, and click Next.

Next, you can add a message to show the user after installation is completed and click Next.

Finally, name your package and decide if you want the user to restart after installation.

Click Next a couple more times to create your package.



Your new package can be found (by default) in your User folder (C:\Users\UserName).



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