How can I convert a Windows batch script to a .exe?

Question

I have a fairly simple batch script that I would like to execute using a macro on my fancy gaming keyboard. However, SteelSeries Engine only supports opening a .exe file with the macro buttons. Is there any way to convert the script into a simple executable?

score 51 · Answer 1 · edited Oct 11 '18 at 21:17

Yes, actually. It's not pretty, but it's clean (nothing to clean up afterwards) and it's actually built-in to your system!

In your C:\Windows\System32\ folder, there is a file called iexpress.exe.

Right-click it an Run as administrator.
Create a new SED and select "Extract files and run an installation command."
Add the script you want, and make sure that on the next screen, you set the install program to cmd /c [your_script.bat] where [your_script.bat] is the script file you want to execute. If you don't do this, windows will try to use Command.com (the old version of Command Prompt) which hasn't been in use for quite a while.
Select preferences (you might need to select "Store files using Long File Name inside Package), set an output path (to the .exe file you want to create), and select "No restart".
Click next and you should have your .exe!

Just a note, this file actually only acts as a wrapper for your script, and the script itself actually gets executed in a temp folder created on execution (and deleted afterwards), so make sure you don't use any relative paths.

score 18 · Answer 2 · edited Mar 29 '17 at 16:31

18

Here are 2 free programs that I highly recommend for creating EXE's out of batch files

1 - Bat To Exe Converter

2 - Bat 2 Exe

You can use both programs with simple GUI.

Bat To Exe Converter supports also CLI commands (\? flag for help). Basic example from documentation:

Bat_To_Exe_Converter.exe -bat mybatfile.bat -save myprogram.exe -icon myicon

edited Mar 29 '17 at 16:31

pkowalczyk

105

answered Jan 17 '16 at 16:59

rammi

197

score 8 · Answer 3 · answered Jan 23 '15 at 07:35

If your keyboard software supports the passing of arguments to the executable (which is not improbable) you don't have to.

cmd.exe /c <path to batchfile>

would run the batch file, and give you a valid executable to name for the keyboard software. No conversion needed means you can always easily make changes to your bat without additional steps required.

score 6 · Answer 4 · answered Jan 17 '16 at 17:49

I found this article which shows you how to convert a .bat to .exe file using a batch-scipt:

@ECHO OFF
ECHO Make EXE From BAT
ECHO Written by: Jason Faulkner
ECHO SysadminGeek.com
ECHO.
ECHO.

REM Usage:
REM MakeExeFromBat BatFileToConvert [IncludeFile1] [IncludeFile2] [...]
REM
REM Required Parameters:
REM  BatFileToConvert
REM      Source batch file to use to produce the output Exe file.
REM
REM Optional Parameters:
REM  IncludeFile
REM      Additional files to include in the Exe file.
REM      You can include external tools used by the batch file so they are available on the executing machine.

SETLOCAL

REM Configuration (no quotes needed):
SET PathTo7Zip=


REM ---- Do not modify anything below this line ----

SET OutputFile="%~n1.exe"
SET SourceFiles="%TEMP%MakeEXE_files.txt"
SET Config="%TEMP%MakeEXE_config.txt"
SET Source7ZFile="%Temp%MakeEXE.7z"

REM Remove existing files
IF EXIST %OutputFile% DEL %OutputFile%

REM Build source archive
ECHO "%~dpnx1" > %SourceFiles%
:AddInclude
IF {%2}=={} GOTO EndInclude
ECHO "%~dpnx2" >> %SourceFiles%
SHIFT /2
GOTO AddInclude
:EndInclude
"%PathTo7Zip%7za.exe" a %Source7ZFile% @%SourceFiles%

REM Build config file
ECHO ;!@Install@!UTF-8! > %Config%
ECHO RunProgram="%~nx1" >> %Config%
ECHO ;!@InstallEnd@! >> %Config%

REM Build EXE
COPY /B "%PathTo7Zip%7zsd.sfx" + %Config% + %Source7ZFile% %OutputFile%

REM Clean up
IF EXIST %SourceFiles% DEL %SourceFiles%
IF EXIST %Config% DEL %Config%
IF EXIST %Source7ZFile% DEL %Source7ZFile%

ENDLOCAL

Important downloads:

score 2 · Answer 5 · answered Apr 04 '20 at 17:36

Different versions of Windows has different effects for same batch file commands, and some commands are limited to some Windows systems eg. findstr and shutdown.
BTW, Win 10 CMD doesn't allow changes to SETLOCAL on command line. OK for batch files.

See this link for different commands for restarting different versions of windows: https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000321.htm

So if you were to compile a script on Win 98, and run on Win 8.1, you'd get unexpected results or scripts may not even work. See list of commands here: https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/server/know-how/windows-cmd-commands/

For this reason, one would need a different compiler on each version of Windows, preferably which would spit out binary code (generic) that can be run on as many CPU chips as possible, with same instruction sets. A workaround offered by most programs is to wrap the script in an exe file that would unwrap and execute the script when opened/run eg. Bat_To_Exe_Converter, Bat2Exe, BatchCompiler or Winzip: https://support.winzip.com/hc/en-us/articles/115011794948-What-is-a-Self-Extracting-Zip-File-

To solve this issue of portability, virtual machines have become more popular and hence the rise of Java & related scripts.

This however, would still be intepreted code, and not as fast as compiled code. Even byte code (intermediate code) from virtual machines still need to be compiled, even if it's (JIT): https://aboullaite.me/understanding-jit-compiler-just-in-time-compiler/

In short, you can get an exe file which would contain a script that would be intepreted by the command processor, but it won't be a native executable file, meaning it won't run without a host by the Windows operating system.

score 2 · Answer 6 · answered Nov 05 '24 at 01:43

A simple tool https://github.com/x1y9/ExWrapper

Features of ExWrapper:

Supports two modes of embedding bat or calling external programs, which is more flexible.
Very lightweight, ExWrapper is less than 50k, and the generated exe is less than 10k.
Customize the icon and whether to display the console.

score 0 · Answer 7 · answered Mar 30 '23 at 20:04

This is a simple way to convert a bat or cmd file to an exe.

I was having problems running batch files so I decided to rename the file .cmd and see if it would execute. I added the required "setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion" to the top of the new .cmd file but it displayed a "privileges" error.

I have copies of numerous programs that convert BAT to EXE, but most require multiple inputs and options to generate an EXE file. For something simple, I wanted a way to convert a simple BAT to EXE without having to select multiple options and configurations.

I did some research and located on OLD 7zip utility that provided a clean, simple and quick method of converting a simple .bat or .cmd file to an EXE. The old, outdated and unsupported utility is called "7z SFX CREATOR". I discovered that the utility only requires THREE files and two of the outdated 7zip program files that it includes (7z.dll and 7zG.exe) can be easily updated to the latest 7zip versions.

This little utility creates good EXE files from .bat or .cmd and requires only THREE options: the SOURCE file, the TARGET file and the TYPE of output: installer(run a file) or archive (dont run a file).

Since EXE files automatically run with privileges-the EXE I created worked perfectly.

Clean, simple, uncomplicated and efficient. That's all I wanted in a BAT to EXE utility.

How can I convert a Windows batch script to a .exe?

7 Answers7

Linked

Related