Utility to extract files from a adware infested installer.

  • Thread starter Thread starter ceed
  • Start date Start date
C

ceed

Hi,

I am using a program called StyleXP to apply visual styles and other stuff
to Windows Explorer. However, the main repository for styles and more,
ThemeXP.org, have started to wrap the style files in an installer
containing adware. This means I am not able to apply styles without having
my computer infested with crap. What I'd like to be able to is to find a
way to extract the real content from these infested Wise installation
executables. The executables does only contain the adware installers in
addition to the zipped style file, so if I found a way to open the
installer and extract from it the problem would be solved. Some of the
styles and stuff I use I have found other places, but some now only comes
wrapped in adware/spyware.

I pay for software in addition to using freeware, and I would pay for this
content if they had a clean payware option, but they don't. It's adware or
noware. I do not like that at all, but that's a whole other discussion :)

Ideas and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
===============================================
* Reply by Jack D. Russell, Sr. <[email protected]>
* Newsgroup: alt.comp.freeware
* Reply to: All; "ceed"
<ceed@abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijk.com>
* Date:Sat, 10 Sep 2005 13:30:08 -0500
* Subj: Utility to extract files from a adware infested installer.
=====================================================

c>Hi,

c>I am using a program called StyleXP to apply visual styles and
c>other stuff to Windows Explorer. However, the main repository for
c>styles and more,
c>ThemeXP.org, have started to wrap the style files in an installer
c>containing adware. This means I am not able to apply styles without
c>having my computer infested with crap. What I'd like to be able
c>to is to find a way to extract the real content from these
c>infested Wise installation executables. The executables does only
c>contain the adware installers in addition to the zipped style
c>file, so if I found a way to open the installer and extract from
c>it the problem would be solved. Some of the styles and stuff I
c>use I have found other places, but some now only comes wrapped in
c>adware/spyware.

c>I pay for software in addition to using freeware, and I would pay
c>for this content if they had a clean payware option, but they
c>don't. It's adware or noware. I do not like that at all, but
c>that's a whole other discussion :)

c>Ideas and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

How 'bout this one? http://xpero.msfn.org/?page=xpize . The best program
of this type I've seen.
BTW...it's freeware.
 
ceed said:
I am using a program called StyleXP to apply visual styles and other stuff
to Windows Explorer. However, the main repository for styles and more,
ThemeXP.org, have started to wrap the style files in an installer
containing adware. This means I am not able to apply styles without having
my computer infested with crap. What I'd like to be able to is to find a
way to extract the real content from these infested Wise installation
executables. The executables does only contain the adware installers in
addition to the zipped style file, so if I found a way to open the
installer and extract from it the problem would be solved. Some of the
styles and stuff I use I have found other places, but some now only comes
wrapped in adware/spyware.
Click to expand...

If it's a Wise installation program, you can usually run the
installation program with the /x command line option, and it will not
perform the installation, but will simply extract all the files. After
the /x option, you must specify the full path of the directory where
you want the extracted files to be placed. Also, you cannot use -x as
the option, but must use /x.

For example, if the installation program is setup.exe, and you want to
extract to C:\ExtractFolder, then from the command line (or from
start/run), give the command:

setup.exe /x C:\ExtractFolder

This won't work if the people who created the install specifically
disabled it. Also, my experience is with older versions of Wise
Installer, so it's possible they have removed this feature. Anyway,
it's worth a try.

Terry
 
Terry <[email protected]> wrote:
Click to expand...
If it's a Wise installation program, you can usually run the
installation program with the /x command line option, and it will not
perform the installation, but will simply extract all the files. After
the /x option, you must specify the full path of the directory where
you want the extracted files to be placed. Also, you cannot use -x as
the option, but must use /x.
Click to expand...
For example, if the installation program is setup.exe, and you want to
extract to C:\ExtractFolder, then from the command line (or from
start/run), give the command:
Click to expand...
setup.exe /x C:\ExtractFolder
Click to expand...
This won't work if the people who created the install specifically
disabled it. Also, my experience is with older versions of Wise
Installer, so it's possible they have removed this feature. Anyway,
it's worth a try.
Click to expand...

Very cool!

I recall seeing the "unwise.exe" file and wondering what it was.

No, I never tried executing it. :)
 
REM said:
I recall seeing the "unwise.exe" file and wondering what it was.

No, I never tried executing it. :)
Click to expand...

Unwise.exe is the uninstaller. It gets executed when you uninstall the
program from control panel/add-remove programs, and is what actually
performs the uninstall (deleting files, removing registry entries,
etc.).

Terry
 
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