Distributing .exe files

[Phil4379]

Philip - I accidentally deleted your post in answering - sorry - I'll try to capture the original message and post it here when the email arrives - Philip's question concerned how to email an exe file and how other's were dealing with the issue of anti-virus rejecting the exe file as a virus.

Hi Philip,

There are a couple ways you can do this. First, let me explain why you are getting this type of response from hotmail, etc., and why you get "virus" warnings.

The issue is that executable files are instructions to your computer and actually "control" the actions of your computer system. As such, it is "possible" for an executable file to be "modified" by someone in such a way that it "could" cause harm to someone's system. For example, with a tiny change in the executable code, it would be possible to erase every system file on someone else's system - or destroy their registry, etc. So because of this danger, anti-virus programs are extremely suspicious of any exe files they encounter. Some will carefully inspect the exe file and if there is no problem let it play. Others will simply "delete" any exe code which is not "signed." A signed exe file is a file which has been approved by Microsoft and to eliminate the problem, Wnsoft has created two ways of distributing your exe programs.

The first way is simply to zip the exe file using the Windows zip or PKZip or other zip archive software. Once the file is "zipped" it can "usually" be added as an attachment to emails without issue, although "some" email programs still are suspicious and a number of anti-virus programs reject the file. You might try just zipping the exe file and see if this works for you.

If this doesn't work, the second way is to use the PTE "web safe" method. When you "publish" the project, choose the "Safe Executable File for Internet" option. This breaks the project into two files. A "signed" exe file and a data file. Then these are zipped automatically and when the recipient gets the files they must be extracted into the same folder. Then clicking on the exe will play your slideshow just as if it were a single exe file. This method "should" pass muster on virtually "any" anti-virus system and should not be a problem for transferring via hotmail, etc. as long as you do not exceed the file size limitations of the email host.

Now, if you want others to be able to "play" your slideshow over the internet, it will need to reside on a host server somewhere and will need to be created as a video. Perhaps the best way to do this is to purchase a web host and create at least a "folder" where you can upload the videos and link to them. There are a number of ways to do this. If this is what you want, please let me know and I'll give you further suggestions about how to proceed.

Best regards,

Lin

[Phil4379]

Many thanks for this excellent reply.

I have zipped the file and had no problems.

Again many thanks

Philip