The Self-Extractor

There was a time when compression was used as a method of splitting large content into multiple packets of smaller size to make distribution easier. Nowadays it's mostly used as a method to prevent important content from being infected by malicious apps. Amongst other industry giants that managed to make a name for themselves, you can use The Self-Extractor to easily create simple, self-extracting archives.

Once the application is downloaded, you can go ahead and take it for a spin because it doesn't require an installation for proper functioning. This means you can also take it with you on a removable storage device to use on the go, while the target computer's registries remain intact.

The main window is pretty simple and doesn't pose any accommodation problems. You can either target a single file or the content of an entire directory, with a simple toggle button put at your disposal. Sadly, the application doesn't integrate itself in the context menu, nor can you simply drag items of interest over the main window to get them ready.

Additional options can be handled before piling up your selection of files in a self-extracting executable. Title and text can be changed, as well as an option to add a logo which needs to be under the PNG format. For security reasons, the application lets you add a password to prompt you before extraction.

Custom parameters can be attached to the executable file for more or special functionality. There's also an option to make the archive ask for administrator rights. Compression methods range from none at all to high level compression, but this can result in slow processing.

Speed is decent, both for creating an archive and extracting content, but could do with a little more. Depending on the configurations you made, the extraction window prompts you for requirements, to pick a destination, after which hitting the “extract” button unpacks content and makes it usable.

On an ending note, The Self-Extractor is a suitable alternative to common archiving utilities. This is because it lets you select various compression methods, add a password and customize the archive file with icons and parameters, while the delivered result doesn't require any other application and can be launched from any Windows system. Portability further adds to practicality, making this program worth a try.