Unpackaging Drivers, EXE and other databases

Problem:

You need an INI, driver or other file from a self-extracting package but for whatever reason, it's failing.

Solution:

Download 7-zip http://www.7-zip.org/ and use it's context menu option to open the files (IE, right click on the file and choose, 7zip>open archive). Then, simply drag the files somewhere you can use them, like your desktop.

Other keywords:
- Extracting files from .exe
- Extract files from cab
- get drivers from installer

This saves my butt so often!

Printer installs especially, so much junk in there!
Just open the installer .exe, find the driver folder, or better yet, just extract the whole thing to your desktop.

Then install a printer through windows, add printer, give it the address (usb, network) and point it toward the file structure w/ the printer driver.. it'll know to go through the appropriate related directories if it's necessary (which is why it's usually important to extract all the files, opposed to just the one you want.)