Database Develop

read cab files

is there an app for the alpine that lets you extract cab files from exe.files without using a pc

I think most of the .exe actually contain a Win32 installer, so I believe there is no realy way to extract the CAB from it, apart from running it on the PC.
However, most of the time you can get the CAB on the PC and install it without using ActiveSync. The Installer usually extracts the CAB to C:\Program Files\[Name of Software] or C:\Program Files\Microsoft ActiveSync\[Name of Software]. Grab it there and store it on your device, then install with CabInstaller for example.
Cheerio !

If you must go hardcore and decompress a cab on your phone, try it with a RAR decompresor. They open on the PC with winrar, but you'll lose file name & structure.
V

Sometimes the PC .exe file automatically deletes the CAB file from the PC & you won't be able to find it on the PC.
If you have an app that behaves like this, run the .exe on the PC & click on OK/Next until you get to the dialogue that asks you 'Install "AppName" using the default install directory?', just after you see the 'Retrieving Device Data' notification.
Now fire up Windows Explorer on the PC and search your \Program Files\ and \Program Files\Microsoft ActiveSync\ directories for your software developer's name. The CAB files should be inside this folder.
Note: All you need is the CAB file. If there is more than one, make sure you pick the correct Processor type ie .ARM for Himalaya or Alpine, not SH3 or MIPS. You don't need any .ini files either.

how can I extract .cab file from a windows install

For a lot of program's i don't need a desktop to setup my PDA. But some programs like .net from microsoft, oziexplorer, citrix, resco-fileexplorer can only be installed from a windows-PC.
is there a way to extract or keep-from-a-temporary-space the .cab file that must be somewhere during the install.
wouldn't it be nice to totally rebuild your system with one button after flashing/testing a new ROM or after a empty-battery situation on holiday.

Strangely enough, this is exactly what I do. I stick to cab downloads where possible (keeping them on the SD) but there are ways to extract the cabs from the installer where there isn't one available. Theres a couple of ways you can:
1. Sometimes the installler is built on a zip and you can just open the exe in winzip. If you have winzip shell extensions installed you get an "open in winzip" option on the right-click menu.
2. If that doesn't work, run up the installer and proceed the the part where it copies it to the phone. There are two places you can find the cab. The first is on your PC in C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Temp\. Sort by date to find the most recent file. The other place is on the phone itself...the installer actually copies the cab to the phone the installs it. I think you can find the cab in \Windows\AppMgr but it's been a while and that may be wrong.

some apps will put their cab on m$ activesync dir.
have u try sprite backup to backup ur system including storage.

Guy's,
thanks for your info. Got it complete in cab files on my storagecard now. Some i found in programfiles/activesync on the desktop. Sometimes it wasn't clear which cab file to use, so i started the install from the desktop. Then on the PDA when the question comes about where to install, then i started fileexplorer to see where the temporary cab file is. They all where in windows/appmgr/install.
thx,
xdaradar

How to keep cab file from programs that install from desktop

I believe most of you will know that some programs like those from Spb runs from windows desktop as an exe file, using activesync, send the cab file over to your pda, runs the cab file.
I find this very troublesome when I need to do a re-install. So I decided to find out, where is the cab file on the pda, so that I can save it for re-installation later.
The folder that cabs are sent to on your pda before the cabs are executed is in the main memory, Windows\AppMgr\Install.
So the trick is, run the installation on your desktop, when your pda ask you where to install the program, click "explore" on your activesync, navigate to Windows\AppMgr\Install in the main memory, copy the cab file there to your storage card. Next, you can continue with the installation process on the pda.
I believe this information would be useful for many people. It would be good if the moderator can put this little piece of infor somewhere that others could refer to.

Similarly, those "desktop .exe" installers leave the .cab PPC installable files in the PC either in \Program File\Microsoft ActiveSync\"developer directory" or \Program Files\"developer directory".

Thanks
Thanks for these valuable information.

You can also extract that cab from the installer files a lot of times too. Use an app such as WinRAR to extract the cab from the executable. I use that method quite frequently as well as hunting in the Activesync folder as mentioned above.

How to install Apps...

I have just bought a HTC Diamond. I am new to the world of Windows Mobile.
So far the phone is great! I love it.
I have noticed you can download lots of apps and tweaks.
I want just wondering how to instal these programs on the phone.
I have downloaded a few games, Unzipped and copied over the files to the phone. It recognioses one of the games with a '.cab' format and it installed, but the rest are .xml.
Any pointers, tips and hints for this phone?
Cheers

the program you use to extract compressed files identifies cab files as compressed. All you need to do is copy the cab files to your phone and run the file from there. If you try to extract a cab file, you'll get those xml files you talked about.
1. Copy cab to phone
2. Run cab from phone to install the program
good luck

elcom said:
1. Copy cab to phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi - my first post!
You mention .cab files... I expect this applies to .exe's as well (for example, hot fixes)???
Any particular folder(s) on the phone we should be copying these files to before running them? I tried to install a hot fix today, but after running the .exe and receiving a 'success' message, the phone restarts OK, but the fix does not appear to have worked.

all exe install's for pocketpc's are pc exe files which have to be run
on the pc and then it use activesync to transfer the cab file to the
pocketpc and run it there

Rudegar said:
all exe install's for pocketpc's are pc exe files which have to be run
on the pc and then it use activesync to transfer the cab file to the
pocketpc and run it there
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the response.
Unfortunately, running the exe on my PC (Win Vista) doesn't seem to work.
Error: "{C:\filepath\filename.exe} is not a valid Win32 application."
Any ideas? I'm a complete newb at this so have exhausted my very limited list of possible ideas...

some people don't distribute their apps with installers so it could
just be the program itself
in which case you have to execute it on the pocketpc
this of cause mean that it will not put a shortcut to the exe
in your programs thats just something you have
to do manualy with a program like total commander
which you can also use to browse to where you put the
exe file and execute it to start the program

some people don't distribute their apps with installers so it could
just be the program itself
in which case you have to execute it on the pocketpc
this of cause mean that it will not put a shortcut to the exe
in your programs thats just something you have
to do manualy with a program like total commander
which you can also use to browse to where you put the
exe file and execute it to start the program

OK thanks - I already tried running the exe straight from my Diamond, and although it appeared to work correctly, the hotfix didn't actually fix what it claimed to. Not to worry, I'm still learning all this stuff (only had my Diamond for a day and a half now... ).

Installing from PC - Where is CAB

Some software I install is done with an .exe file from the PC. It seems like these programs simply dump the CAB onto the phone for install. Does anyone know where this CAB is on the phone so I can copy it for re-install later?
Doug M.

Check the location you installed on your PC, the cab is usually there too

I have a quick question. I dowloaded Xtract that game. And I extracted the zip and i dont see a .cab file anywhere. Only a setup.xml and a few other files.

Sometimes it goes into a temp folder, it depends on the software. If I see it mention a location during the install process I check that folder for the cab file.

pennywisdom said:
Sometimes it goes into a temp folder, it depends on the software. If I see it mention a location during the install process I check that folder for the cab file.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ohh nevermind. So with CABviaActiveSync I just click it and it will install to my phone?

Sometimes you can open up the .exe file with 7-zip and just extract the cab file. Or, if you have sk tools, you can re-pack the program into a cab with their 'installed programs' tool.

dwmackay said:
Some software I install is done with an .exe file from the PC. It seems like these programs simply dump the CAB onto the phone for install. Does anyone know where this CAB is on the phone so I can copy it for re-install later?
Doug M.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Doug!
You can find the .cab file(s) in C:\Program Files\Microsoft ActiveSync\XXXX
Where XXXX is the name of the software you have installed.
HTH

Thanks for the replies. This should speed-up some installs for me.
Doug M.