HOWTO: Create a Single EXE Install of Internet Explorer
ID: Q185375
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The information in this article applies to:
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Microsoft Internet Explorer (Programming) versions 4.0, 4.01, 4.01sp1
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Microsoft Internet Explorer Administration Kit versions 4.0, 4.01, 4.01a
SUMMARY
Applications that use WinInet, URL Monikers, the Web Browser Control, or
any other Internet Explorer 4.0 technology require at least the minimal
install of Internet Explorer 4.0 on users' systems in order to work
correctly. The Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK) can be used to
produce a redistribution of Internet Explorer.
The IEAK typically creates a directory of several files for inclusion on a
CD or other installation medium. This article details steps to use the
IExpress utility included with the IEAK to build a special single file self-
extracting EXE redistribution package.
MORE INFORMATION
NOTE: Applications that only require Internet Explorer 3.0 functionality
and work correctly in an Internet Explorer 3.0 environment can use the
Axdist.exe and Wintdist.exe redistributables included with the ActiveX SDK.
Applications that use either of these redistributable packages must verify
that Internet Explorer 3.0x or higher does not exist on any install
machines before installing either package. See the REFERENCES section below
for links to relevant topics in the Internet Client SDK.
Use of AXDIST and WINTDIST is not recommended. The use of special DLL
redistribution packages can be the cause of unanticipated future
application compatibility problems and is therefore generally discouraged.
Steps for Creating a Single File Self-Extracting EXE Install
These terse steps were designed with the explicit goal of designing a
"minimal impact" redistributable EXE for an ISV-type installation.
Developers should feel free to diverge from any settings or steps listed
below; the IEAK was designed especially to allow for a wide variety of
custom installation methods. In all cases, refer to the IEAK Documentation
for more in-depth information about use of the IEAK to create custom
packages.
- Follow the steps on the IEAK site to register, obtain an IEAK license,
and download the IEAK. You will receive both a password to login to the
IEAK site and a 10-digit confirmation number that allows access to the
IEAK Wizard once it is installed.
- Run the IEAK Wizard. For options pages not listed below, choose the
setting appropriate to your application.
- On the Property page for "Select Media to Distribute Your Browser,"
select CD-ROM and a valid destination folder.
- On the property page for "Select Installation Options," Delete the
"Standard Installation" and "Full Installation" options.
- On the Property page for "Specify Download URLs," select an appropriate
URL. This will not be used for the final install package, but the IEAK
Wizard will not allow you to proceed without specifying one.
- On the Property page for "Customize the Welcome Message," choose "Do not
display a welcome page" and select "Disable Internet Explorer 4.0
Welcome window."
- On the property page for "Select Channel or Category," choose "Do not
add any channels." On the next page, delete all of the offered channels
from the list box.
- Follow the rest of the pages to finish the IEAK process. The resulting
files will be placed in the target directory specified.
- From the target directory specified during the IEAK Wizard, go to the
WIN95_NT\CD\Win95\En\packages directory (henceforth called the
"packages" directory.) Once there, run the following command line:
ie4setup /c /t:"<full path to temporary unpack directory>"
Copy the files unpacked from ie4setup back to the "packages" directory.
- In the "packages" directory, delete these files:
- Icw95.cab
- Icwnt.cab
- Ie4shl95.cab (unless you want Web Integrated Shell)
- Ie4shlnt.cab " "
- Iecd.ini
- VInstall.ins
- Isk*.*
- Go to your IEAK Program directory and then the tools subdirectory
(\Program Files\IEAK\tools). If Wextract.exe is missing from this
directory, locate it from (\Program Files\IEAK\iebin\EN\Optional) and
copy it into the tools directory.
- Run Iexpress.exe. Use all defaults unless specified otherwise.
- On the "Packaged Files" property page, select Add, then browse to the
"packages" directory and add all files in that directory.
- IMPORTANT: For "Install Program" on the "Installation Program to" page,
use the following complete line:
ie4wzd.exe /Q:A /X /I:N /R:N
If you want to display progress information while IE is installing,
substitute /Q:U for /Q:A:
ie4wzd.exe /Q:U /X /I:N /R:N
(The /Q:U switch is omitted in the current IEAK docs and is only
supported on recent versions of the IEAK.)
Feel free to change any of the other options. These are described in the
IEAK documentation.
- When given reboot options, select "No Reboot."
- Complete the IExpress Wizard with the default options and use the
resultant EXE as a self-installing Internet Explorer package in the
desired applications which use Internet Explorer functionality. You MUST
reboot after your application installation; Internet Explorer will not
function properly until after the system has been rebooted.
REFERENCES
How to version check Internet Explorer -- Internet Client SDK: Internet
Tools & Technologies; Reusing the WebBrowser and MSHTML; Licensing and
Distribution - Determining the Internet Explorer Version from Shdocvw.dll
Command line options for IE4WZD as used in step #14 -- IEAK Help:
Reference; Internet Explorer Batch Mode Setup Switches
IEAK Web site -- http://ieak.microsoft.com
ActiveX SDK for Internet Explorer 3.0x --
http://msdn.microsoft.com/downloads/tools/ActiveXSDK/axsdk.asp
© Microsoft Corporation 1999, All Rights Reserved. Contributions by Jason Strayer, Microsoft Corporation
Additional query words:
Keywords : kbIE400 kbIE401
Version : WINDOWS:4.0,4.01,4.01a,4.01sp1
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto
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