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Just wondering how an installer such as a setup.exe contains the files it's supposed to install, when it's an offline installer. I get that I can create a msi or a setup.exe easily in Visual Studio, but what if I, for example, would want to write an installer with a custom gui with raw c++ (if possible)? How does a singular executable contain all the necessary files (such as the dll's)?

Ðаn
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BubLblckZ
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  • Installation for Windows apps can get really complex. What's the use case for reiinventing the wheel yourself instead of using one of the many free installation builders like Inno Setup? – Ken White Mar 24 '20 at 20:34

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As Ken said, Windows Installer is a complex service. If you are into learning about it here are some resources:

Intro for Windows Installer:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/msi/windows-installer-portal

How files are bundled inside an MSI:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/msi/using-cabinets-and-compressed-sources

If you just want to build a native MSI use existing tools, there are plenty of options free or paid.

Bogdan Mitrache
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