The installation package for SciFinder Scholar 2006 for Microsoft Windows, SFS2006.exe, is a self-extracting archive. When you run (double-click) it, it unzips and automatically launches the SciFinder Scholar 2006 installer and the SciFinder Scholar application is installed into the SciFinder Scholar installation folder. The Site Preferences file (site.prf) must be added to the SciFinder Scholar installation folder to make the installation complete.
There are at least three ways to distribute the SciFinder Scholar Site Preferences:
- Make site.prf available for download on a local web site or server. After SciFinder Scholar has been installed, instruct end users to download the site.prf and move it into the SciFinder Scholar installation folder.
- Make a special Custom Site Files disk that can be used during SciFinder Scholar installation. Refer to SciFinder Scholar Site Administrator Guide (available at the myCAS site) for details.
- Create a new distribution package that includes both the SciFinder Scholar installer and the site.prf file.
Example: How to create a new distribution package
The instructions that follow use WinZip 8.1 to create a new self-extracting archive that includes both the installer and the Site Preferences file. WinZip is but one example of programs that can create .zip files and self-extracting archives. The CAS Software Support Team members are not WinZip experts; please contact your local support resources or the vendor of your archive software for assistance with using the software.
It is not essential that a self-extracting archive (.exe) be created. A .zip file can be created instead, but end users must then have software that is capable of unzipping it. The advantage of the self-extracting zip file is that end users do not need to have an "unzip" program on their computers.
Step A: Create a zip file (archive)
- Create a new zip archive. (In this example, we use the name SFS2006p.zip.)
- Add SFS2006.exe to the SFS2006p.zip archive.
- Add site.prf to the archive.
- Save the SFS2006p.zip archive.
Your SFS2006p.zip file now contains the SciFinder Scholar 2006 installer and site.prf.
Step B: Create a self-extracting archive from the zip file
- With SFS2006p.zip still active, go to the Actions menu.
- Select Make .Exe File. (Remember, this example uses WinZip 8.0. Your zip software may work differently, or your version of WinZip might not have this feature.)
- Make sure the Default "Unzip To" folder is C:\Sfschlr.
- Click OK to create SFS2006p.exe.
Step C: Make the self-extracting archive available for download
- Place SFS2006p.exe on your network to make it available for patrons to download.
- End users should then run SFS2006p.exe to create C:\Sfschlr\ that contains SFS2006.exe and site.prf.
- Next, run SFS2006.exe to install SciFinder Scholar into the C:\Sfschlr folder.
- After confirming that SciFinder Scholar is working, delete SFS2006p.exe and SFS2006.exe if desired.
Updated: 1/4/2008 2:23:08 PM
