zip files into exe of stationery files

[Tracy]

I want to be able to create a zip file to send someone. But, they can't
unzip and it's easier for them to use a .exe file.
Problem:
In Vista, the path for stationery is :
C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail\Stationery\
In XP it's:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Stationery

When I create the .exe from the zip, what would I use for the path since
each person would have a different USERNAME?

Is it possible to create one .exe file for EITHER Vista or XP for extracting
stationery, or would I have to create 2 .exe files?

Thanks,
Tracy

 

[Steve Cochran]

What are you trying to send them in terms of information? An exe file is a
program. Are you trying to send them a program? If so, they what does it
have to do with stationery? What does the program do?

What are you trying to create a zip file of? What is in the zip file
supposedly?

steve

 

[Tracy]

I create stationery for email.
Some people don't know how to extract a zip file and prefer to have an
self-extractor .exe file.
That way they can just run the .exe file and the stationery files are
extracted automatically to the correct stationery folder.

Tracy

 

[Steve Cochran]

Okay. Now I understand.

I don't know how sophisticated the program is you are using with which to
set the output directory. You are already faced with an issue in Vista that
the directory will be dependent on the user name and that was not the case
in XP. So if your software can expand the Username variable then it may
also be able to determine the operating system version. If it can do that,
then you can use one exe. However, if it can't do that, you'll need one for
XP and one for Vista, and with Vista you'll have to figure out how to get to
the correct directory, since its based on the user name.

cheers,

steve

 

[DGuess]

Winzip or other program will have to create it. There are some free ones.
Might try

http://www.altools.net/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

 

[Tracy]

DGuess suggested WinZip...that I know. As THAT is the program I use to
create the zip's and convert them to .exe files.

Scenario:
Jane loves to use stationery to send email message.
I created a stationery for her to use with her name and a picture of her on
it.
I sent her the zip file
Even with XP's ability to unzip a file, it's still to complicated for her to
learn the proper procedures as to where to actually unzip the files.
(MANY people have really screwed it up because they don't really know how a
computer works)
So...instead of sending her the zip file, I right click on the zip file,
choose WinZip, Create Self-Extractor .EXE file.
I send it to her.
She saves it. Then she double clicks on the .exe file and the files are
automatically extracted into the folder of:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Stationery


There are many people who want the same stationery, but have a different
name put on it.
With the introduction of Vista, email stationery now has a different
location. That being:
C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail\Stationery\

With the onset of a different location for the files in Vista, and many
people not having Vista, but have XP, I'm trying to be able to create an
..exe files from a zip so that when the .exe is run, the stationery files
will be extracted into their C:\....\Windows Mail\Stationery folder

Problem:
The path of each person will be different because of the actual User name.
Can I use a certain path when I create it so that it looks for the user
name?

I noticed, for example in a Windows Theme File, that there are references to
files but the path isn't what is actually on my computer:
Example:
Path=%ResourceDir%\Themes\luna\luna.msstyles
When my computer path actually is:
C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\luna\luna.msstyles

Is there way to use the % in the path when I create a .exe from a .zip file
so that no matter what the name is, it'll go into their Windows
Mail\Stationery folder?

Tracy

 

[Steve Cochran]

The environmental variables are code like %USERPROFILE% and they get decoded
to things such as "c:\users\yourusername" . But I don't think one can
specify that to Winzip. I don't know. You'll have to look at the
documentation for Winzip.

Its kind of scary that the users can figure out where to put files on their
system. It doesn't say much for their inquisitiveness or education.

steve

 

[Tracy]

Ok...I got it going so far.
I am able to use ZipGenius to use the variable.
However, now the problem is the codes in the html file of the stationery
itself.
In OE6, the path for the sound had to be the complete path of where the the
music was:
example:
<BGSOUND loop=infinite balance=0 src="C:\Program Files\Common
Files\Microsoft Shared\Stationery
\amazing-grace.mid" volume=-210>

But now the problem is that the files are all being extracted into the
proper User's Windows Mail\Stationery, but what codes would I use in the
html file for the sound?

I tried:
src="%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows
Mail\Stationery\amazing-grace.mid" volume=-210>
src=%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows
Mail\Stationery\amazing-grace.mid volume=-210>
but neither of these will grab the midi file in the user's folder to play
the music.

Any more help with this problem?

Tracy

 

[Steve Cochran]

Good you got that working.

You can use the relative path if the sound file is in the same directory.

WinMail is going to insert a <BASE href that will be the path to the
stationery directory. (try composing an HTML message and look at the
source). So if you just specify the filename without a path, then it should
work fine, as long as that file is referenced relative to the directory, so
if its in a subdirectory it would have to be "\sub\filename.mid"

steve

 

[Tracy]

That's where a lot of the problem came in.
Assuming that the music is in the same folder as the stationery:
In OE5 (maybe even OE4), you used to be able to have the music code without
the path:
src="amazing-grace.mid"

When OE came out with the new version, you had to put in the complete path:
src="C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft
Shared\Stationery\amazing-grace.mid"

With Vista, using the code without the path doesn't work. I already tried
it.

So...I'm presumming that the full path is still needed
src="C:\Users\Tracy\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows
Mail\Stationery\amazing-grace.mid"

HOWEVER...and here's the kicker:
Each person's path will be different.

I've noticed that CloudEight stationery creates its own folder of music.
I don't like that option because for everyone who creates stationery with
music, that could really add a lot of folders to a persons computer and I
don't think that's a very wise (or nice).

Any more ideas?

Tracy

 

[Steve Cochran]

You can do it the way WinMail is doing it and add the base href to the
stationery and just stick somewhere on the system. You can put it back in
the old place, as long as you include the location in the stationery itself
(which means it can't be moved unless that is edited).

But if you include a
<BASE
href="file://D:\Users\scochran\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows
Mail\Stationery\">

Like that, in the html, then it doesn't matter where its installed on the
machine. But the htm files will only show as menu items in WinMail if they
are in the stationery directory where WinMail is looking.

steve

 

[Tracy]

In your example for the BASE code, that presumes that the creator of the
stationery knows where the stationery files will be.
And, as a creator, the User name will never be the same because the path of
the user's mail will always be different.

In your example, I couldn't use D:\Users\scochran.... if I'm going to send
the same files to Steve Jones who has his user name as Steve. Hence his
path might be D:\Users\Steve\AppData.....

Tracy

 

[Steve Cochran]

Right. WinMail when you compose with stationery, inserts the default path
as the Base href. My point was that you could set any path as the base if
you put all your files into that base and then they could use that file in
that specific location to compose their stationery, but it would not be the
default stationery location, as now they have changed that to put it under
the specific user profile.

steve