AgentcySE: Agentcy Self Extracting Installer
For Windows 95, 98, 2000, and Windows NT 4.0.
Description
The AgentcySE allows shareware authors to easily create self extracting
installation files suitable for installation via the web. The self
extracting executables created by AgentcySE can be distributed whether or
not you choose to register AgentcySE. Installers created
with the unregistered version of AgentcySE simply display an informational
dialog (nag window) for 15 seconds. Once registered, the installers
created with AgentcySE do not display a nag window.
AgentcySE is intended to be used with installation programs (such as InstallShield).
that create install disk images. The free version of InstallShield that
comes with Microsoft Visual Studio does not allow the creation of self
extracting installation files. That's where AgentcySE comes in. It
lets you create a self extracting installer from the install disk(s) image
created with InstallShield.
Installers created with AgentcySE run on Windows 95, Windows 98, NT
4.0, and Windows 2000. AgnetcySE does NOT support 16 bit versions of
Windows (Windows 3.0, Windows 3.1, etc.)
Directions
Using AgentcySE is extremely simple. Just follow these steps:
1. Specify the source folder that contains the installation
image created with InstallShield (or some similar program). If the image
created contains multiple folders (disk1,disk2, disk3, etc.) make sure you
specify the parent folder as the source. AgentcySE will automatically include
all files in all sub-folders of the source folder in the final installer.
So be sure that the ONLY files in the source folder are the files you want
included in the installer.
2. Specify the executable that the installer is to run once
it has extracted the original files to the user's disk.
3. Specify the name of the output that AgentcySE is to
create. The output file should have an "exe" extension.
The name should be of the form "???Setup.exe", or "???Install.exe"
where the name of the
product is substituted for the "???". For example, if the product
you are creating an installer for is called "HomePro2000", then the
output file name should be "HomePro2000Setup.exe". Of course,
you can name the output file anything you want. These are just guidelines.
4. Specify a descriptive message to be displayed to the
user in order that he/she can verify the action to be performed. For example:
"This program will install HomePro2000 on your computer." Upon
running the installer, the user will see this message and be given the choices
"OK" and "Cancel". If the user presses "OK",
the installation will proceed.
5. Press the "Create EXE" button. That's
it.
Installation Error Codes
The self extracting installer is very reliable and the vast majority of uses
will not experience any problems. The most common source of error is not
enough disk space to extract the install files. If any problem is
encountered upon running the self extracting installer, an error code will be
displayed. Descriptions of the error codes are as follows:
| Error# |
Description |
| 1 |
An error occurred while reading from disk. This error
would indicate a severe disk error. |
| 2 |
Invalid file format. Indicates either a data error
occurred while downloading the self extracting exe, or the self extracting
exe has been altered, making it invalid. |
| 3 |
Invalid file format. Similar to error#2. |
| 4 |
No content. The self extracting installer has no files
to extract. This error will be displayed if you run the SEStub.exe
program in the AgentcySE directory directly. (Which is something you
shouldn't do.) |
| 5 |
Unable to create a temporary directory. This would occur
if the user's temporary directory in write protected. If this is the
case, they will have problems with lots of other programs as well, since
almost all programs create temporary files. |
| 6 |
Invalid file format. Similar to error#2. |
| 7 |
Invalid file format. Similar to error#2. |
| 8 |
Error writing an extracted file. Would indicate a
severe disk error or disk full error. |
| 9 |
Error writing an extracted file. Would indicate a
severe disk error or disk full error. |
| 10 |
Error executing (setup/install) file. Indicates low memory
or low system resources. User might want to reboot. Also, many
installers use a 16 bit setup program. On Windows NT, or 2000 an advanced
user can disable support for 16 bit programs, which would cause a 16 bit
setup file to fail. Also, some 16 bit setup programs regularly cause NT's
WOW to hang in NT 4.0. |
Registration Information
AgentcySE can be registered for $14.95. Upon entering the registration
key, the self extracting executables created with AgentcySE will no longer show
the nag window. Installers created with AgentcySE CAN be distributed
(unmodified) whether or not AgentcySE has been registered. AgentcySE is the
most economical self installer creator on the market. Please support our
work by registering. Click on the "Registration Information" button on
the AgentcySE main window for instructions on registering.
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