In the System32 folder of your Windows, you will see an application called IExpress. IExpress is a Microsoft tool that is included in Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and Windows 7.
It can be used to create a single self-extracting package from a set of files. Such packages can be used to install applications, executables, drivers and system components. It uses a Self-Extraction Directive (.sed) file to store information about your package. When you run the IExpress Wizard, you can start with an existing .sed file or create a new one by using the wizard. The .sed file contains information and instructions about the setup package.
Using its step-by-step wizard, IExpress 2.0 will help you go about creating a self-extracting files, viz Self Extraction Directive (SED) files, that automatically run the setup program contained inside.
They include compressed files that uncompress with a double-click. If you want, you can also add a licensing agreement, messages for the users to whom you send SEDs, etc. The setup program can be an .inf file or an executable program.
After installation, IExpress automatically removes the setup files, saving the user time.
The IExpress Wizard can also help you carry out specialized installations of your customized browser package, such as determining whether the computer needs to be restarted after installation. Certain choices you make in the wizard correspond to particular batch-mode setup switches.
KB197147 describes the command-line switches that you can use with software update packages that use IExpress technology.
