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7-Zip SFX Standard Packaging Guide: Why 7zSD.sfx Is the Only Correct Installer Stub

1) Golden Rule (Cache this for agents and newcomers)

  • 7z.sfx (Standard SFX) extracts only — it does not parse RunProgram or execute any install workflow.
  • 7zSD.sfx (Installer SFX) extracts + executes — it supports RunProgram / InstallPath / Silent / GUIMode.

90% of "config not working / Extract-to dialog" issues have exactly one root cause: the wrong stub.

2) Selection Comparison Table

Attribute Standard (DO NOT USE) Installer (RECOMMENDED)
Filename 7z.sfx 7zSD.sfx
Typical Size ~38 KB ~120–160 KB
Capability Extract only Extract + Execute
RunProgram ❌ Ignored ✅ Supported
Typical Symptom Always shows "Extract to…" dialog Can run silently or with GUI per config

3) Minimal Correct Config File (UTF-8 without BOM)

;!@Install@!UTF-8!
Title="Internet Cafe Customizer"
InstallPath=".\\ "
RunProgram="scripts\\batch\\sfx_entry.bat"
;!@InstallEnd@!

Key constraints:

  • InstallPath=".\\ ": Extract to the same directory as the EXE (SFX uses its own path as base)
  • RunProgram path: relative to the extraction root
  • Config file must be UTF-8 without BOM (BOM causes parse failure)

4) Standard Build (PowerShell, deterministic)

$stub    = "tools\7z\7zSD.sfx"
$cfg     = "configs\sfx_config.txt"
$archive = "build\temp.7z"
$outExe  = "dist\installer.exe"

# 1) Create 7z archive
& "tools\7z\7za.exe" a -t7z $archive (Join-Path PWD payload) -mx=9

# 2) Binary concatenation: stub + config + 7z
[byte[]]$bin =
  [IO.File]::ReadAllBytes($stub) +
  [IO.File]::ReadAllBytes($cfg) +
  [IO.File]::ReadAllBytes($archive)

[IO.File]::WriteAllBytes($outExe, $bin)
Write-Host "Built: $outExe"

Do not rely on copy /b's implicit encoding behavior; PowerShell concatenation is auditable and reproducible.

5) 30-Second Self-Check

Use this minimal config:

;!@Install@!UTF-8!
RunProgram="cmd.exe"
;!@InstallEnd@!

After building, double-click:

  • CMD window opens → Installer stub ✅
  • "Extract to" dialog appears → You used 7z.sfx — switch to 7zSD.sfx ❌

6) Quick Troubleshooting Matrix

Symptom Root Cause Fix
Always shows Extract-to Stub = 7z.sfx Replace with official 7zSD.sfx
RunProgram appears ignored Same as above (stub doesn't process install params) Same fix
Double-click does nothing Stub is non-official, corrupted, or wrong architecture Use 7zSD.sfx from 7-Zip install dir or LZMA SDK bin\
Extracted OK but script can't find files Working directory / relative path mismatch Add cd /d "%~dp0" at top of bat; verify archive paths