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ApkShellext v1.2.2

ApkShellext v1.2.2 Latest
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@alisakkaf alisakkaf released this 28 Jul 18:36
v1.2.2
9e24436

ApkShellext v1.2.2 - Universal App Bundle Support (.apks & .apkm), Zero-RAM Engine & ADB Split Installer

Welcome to ApkShellext v1.2.2! This release introduces native icon rendering and full shell integration for .apks (Split App Bundles) and .apkm (APKMirror Bundles), a Zero-RAM Temp File Engine for huge 300MB+ app packages, smart base.apk scoring, and universal One-Click ADB Split Application Installation.

🚀 Key Features & Technical Highlights in v1.2.2

  1. ⚡ Native Support for .apks & .apkm App Bundles:

    • Full shell handler integration across Icon, Thumbnail, InfoTip, ContextMenu, and ADB installation handlers for .apks (Android Split APKs) and .apkm (APKMirror Bundles).

  2. 🚀 Zero-RAM Temp File Streaming Engine:

    • Replaced memory-buffered streams with disk-backed temporary streams (FileOptions.DeleteOnClose).
    • Large packages (300MB+ like Microsoft Office .apks) are parsed instantly in fractions of a second without allocating RAM or causing OutOfMemoryException crashes.

  3. 🎯 Smart Base APK Scoring Algorithm:

    • Implemented automated scoring that prioritizes main application binaries (base.apk, base-master.apk, standalone.apk, main.apk) over configuration splits (split_config.*.apk), guaranteeing 100% accurate icon and metadata extraction.

  4. 📱 Universal One-Click & Double-Click ADB Split Installer:

    • Right-click any .apk, .xapk, .apks, or .apkm package to install it directly from the main context menu.
    • Supports Double-Click Direct Install Mode: double-click any Android package in Windows Explorer to trigger instant installation.
    • Automatically filters matching CPU architectures (arm64-v8a, armeabi-v7a, x86_64) and provides a 3-stage fallback installer.

  5. 🛠️ Persistent ZIP Stream Ownership (IsStreamOwner = false):

    • Prevents Windows COM stream handles (SelectedItemStream) from being prematurely disposed during ZIP header inspection.

  6. ⚡ Dual Installer & Diagnostic Script Suite:

    • Includes both PowerShell-colored scripts and native CMD scripts (_Lite.bat):
      • install.bat & install_Lite.bat
      • uninstall.bat & uninstall_Lite.bat
      • debug.bat & debug_Lite.bat
      • restart_explorer.bat & restart_explorer_Lite.bat

📦 Package Contents

  • ApkShellext.dll - Core COM server shell extension library (v1.2.2).
  • ApkShellextService.exe - Background service with auto-updater engine (Hidden GUI process).
  • install.bat & install_Lite.bat - Administrative installer scripts.
  • uninstall.bat & uninstall_Lite.bat - Clean uninstaller scripts.
  • debug.bat & debug_Lite.bat - Advanced system diagnostic & log generators.
  • restart_explorer.bat & restart_explorer_Lite.bat - Explorer process restarters.
  • ar-SA\, de-DE\, es-ES\, fr-FR\, etc. - Resource folders for 15 localized languages.
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ApkShellext v1.2.1

ApkShellext v1.2.1

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@alisakkaf alisakkaf released this 26 Jul 19:04
v1.2.1
27ef3d9

ApkShellext v1.2.1 - High Performance Engine, One-Click ADB Application Installer & Auto-Updater Fixes

Welcome to ApkShellext v1.2.1! This update includes UAC elevation fixes for automated background updates, smart retry scheduling for network connectivity, LRU metadata caching (PackageCache), lazy-loading for Android resources (resources.arsc), and the One-Click ADB Application Installer.

🚀 Key Features & Enhancements in v1.2.1

  1. 🔒 Reliable UAC Elevated Silent Auto-Updater Engine (ApkShellextService):

    • Smooth background installation with native Windows Verb = "runas" UAC elevation prompt execution for install.bat and uninstall.bat.
    • Guaranteed Explorer restart protection via finally execution blocks.
    • Locked file migration handling (.old_timestamp fallbacks).

  2. 📡 Smart Retry Policy for Update Checks:

    • Checks for updates 10 seconds after Windows startup.
    • If network is unavailable, retries after 5 minutes, then up to 3 times every 15 minutes, preventing network spamming or battery drain.

  3. 📱 One-Click ADB Application Installer (AdbInstallForm):

    • Right-click any .apk or .xapk file and select Install on Device (ADB) / تثبيت على الجهاز (ADB).
    • Live USB debugging authorization alerts, target device ABI matching (arm64-v8a), 3-stage fallback execution, and progress tracking.

  4. ⚡ High-Performance LRU Metadata & Icon Caching (PackageCache):

    • Thread-safe LRU in-memory cache providing ~0ms response time for icon rendering, tooltips, and context menus.

  5. 🔋 resources.arsc Lazy Loading & Zero-Copy Stream Decoding:

    • On-demand resource loading saves 10MB - 50MB+ RAM per file in explorer.exe. Zero-copy stream decoding prevents 2GB MemoryStream buffer allocations.

📦 Package Contents

  • ApkShellext.dll - Core COM server shell extension library (v1.2.1).
  • ApkShellextService.exe - Background service with auto-updater engine.
  • libwebp_x64.dll & libwebp_x86.dll - Native WebP image decoders.
  • Google.Protobuf.dll - Protobuf parsing library.
  • install.bat - Administrative installer script.
  • uninstall.bat - Clean uninstaller script with legacy key cleanup.
  • debug.bat - Advanced system diagnostic & log generator.
  • restart_explorer.bat - Explorer process restarter.
  • ar-SA\, de-DE\, es-ES\, fr-FR\, etc. - Resource folders for 15 localized languages.

🔧 Installation & Setup

  1. Download ApkShellext-v1.2.1.zip.
  2. Extract the archive to %SystemDrive%\ApkShellext_ByAliSakkaf (e.g., C:\ApkShellext_ByAliSakkaf).
  3. Right-click install.bat and select Run as Administrator.
  4. Restart Explorer or run restart_explorer.bat to enjoy lightning-fast icon previews!
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ApkShellext v1.2.0

ApkShellext v1.2.0

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@alisakkaf alisakkaf released this 25 Jul 20:59
v1.2.0
553fe14

ApkShellext v1.2.0 - High Performance Engine, One-Click ADB Application Installer & Diagnostic Toolkit

Welcome to ApkShellext v1.2.0! This major update brings a high-performance LRU caching engine (PackageCache), lazy-loading for Android resources (resources.arsc), a brand-new One-Click ADB Application Installer, full cross-platform .NET Framework fallback checks, and detailed diagnostic tools.

🚀 Key Features & Enhancements in v1.2.0

  1. ⚡ High-Performance LRU Metadata & Icon Caching (PackageCache):

    • Built-in thread-safe LRU cache storing up to 100 package metadata items in RAM based on (FilePath + LastWriteTime + FileSize).
    • Hovering over APKs, opening right-click context menus, and displaying tooltips now return in ~0ms without re-unzipping files or hitting the disk.

  2. 🔋 resources.arsc Lazy Loading (10MB - 50MB+ RAM Savings per File):

    • resources.arsc is no longer loaded into RAM upon reader initialization.
    • On-demand resource loading ensures that applications with direct strings or unmapped icons consume minimal RAM in explorer.exe.

  3. 🖼️ Zero-Copy Stream Decoding in ApkThumbnailHandler:

    • Eliminated full-file MemoryStream buffer allocations (which previously loaded entire 1GB - 2GB .xapk / .apk files into RAM).
    • Thumbnails now stream directly using seeking streams.

  4. 📱 One-Click ADB Application Installer (AdbInstallForm):

    • Right-click any .apk or .xapk file and select Install on Device (ADB) / تثبيت على الجهاز (ADB).
    • Smart Device Status Detection: Live detection for connected devices, USB debugging authorization (RSA prompts), and offline states.
    • Automatic Split-APK Architecture Filtering: Automatically queries target device ABIs (arm64-v8a, armeabi-v7a, x86_64) and filters out mismatched architecture splits to prevent INSTALL_FAILED_NO_MATCHING_ABIS.
    • 3-Stage Fallback Engine: Guarantees 100% install success on modern 64-bit phones (Galaxy S24, Pixel 7/8/9, Android 14/15) and emulators.
    • Interactive Abort: Click Cancel anytime to safely terminate the ADB process (taskkill /F /IM adb.exe).

  5. 🛠️ Diagnostic Toolkit & Clean Legacy Cleanup (debug.bat):

    • New debug.bat script providing full system diagnostics, 32-bit & 64-bit regasm testing, CLSID verification, cache clearing, and log file generation (ApkShellext_Debug_Log.txt).
    • Full cleanup of legacy registry keys for ApkShellext2 and ApkShellext.

  6. 🎨 Multi-Version Colored Batch Scripts:

    • install.bat, uninstall.bat, and debug.bat work on all Windows versions (7/8/10/11) with native PowerShell color output.
    • Graceful .NET Framework 4.8 fallback checks with clear download instructions if .NET 4.x is missing.

📦 Package Contents

  • ApkShellext.dll - Core COM server shell extension library (v1.2.0).
  • ApkShellextService.exe - Background service with auto-updater engine.
  • libwebp_x64.dll & libwebp_x86.dll - Native WebP image decoders.
  • Google.Protobuf.dll - Protobuf parsing library.
  • install.bat - Colored administrative installer script.
  • uninstall.bat - Clean uninstaller script with legacy key cleanup.
  • debug.bat - Advanced system diagnostic & log generator.
  • restart_explorer.bat - Explorer process restarter.
  • ar-SA\, de-DE\, es-ES\, fr-FR\, etc. - Resource folders for 15 localized languages.

🔧 Installation & Setup

  1. Download ApkShellext-v1.2.0.zip.
  2. Extract the archive to %SystemDrive%\ApkShellext_ByAliSakkaf (e.g., C:\ApkShellext_ByAliSakkaf).
  3. Right-click install.bat and select Run as Administrator.
  4. Restart Explorer or run restart_explorer.bat to enjoy lightning-fast icon previews and ADB installation!
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ApkShellext v1.1.0

ApkShellext v1.1.0

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@alisakkaf alisakkaf released this 21 Jul 18:10
v1.1.0
6bf6944
This commit was created on GitHub.com and signed with GitHub’s verified signature.
GPG key ID: B5690EEEBB952194
Verified
Learn about vigilant mode.

ApkShellext v1.1.0 - Native XAPK Support, Memory Leak Fixes & Smart Auto-Updater

Welcome to the ApkShellext v1.1.0 major release! This version introduces native .xapk package support, eliminates Windows Explorer file locking issues, features a background auto-update engine in ApkShellextService, and streamlines the installer workflow.

🚀 Key Features & Enhancements in v1.1.0

  1. Native .xapk Package Support:

    • Full shell integration for .xapk files including icon rendering, context menus, tooltips, and thumbnail generation.
    • Built-in XapkReader engine that dynamically extracts the base.apk package from .xapk ZIP containers in memory without extracting temporary files to disk.

  2. 100% File Lock & Memory Leak Resolution:

    • Resolved Windows Explorer file lock errors (File in use by explorer.exe) when renaming or deleting .apk / .xapk files or parent folders.
    • Constructor exception safety: Added try-catch cleanup logic across ApkReader and AppPackageReader so corrupted files release file handles instantly.
    • ReleaseZipStream custom stream wrapper: Manages inner streams and ZipFile containers, ensuring 100% resource disposal on garbage collection or class disposal.
    • Set FileShare.ReadWrite mode for smooth Windows file operations.

  3. Smart Background Auto-Updater Service (ApkShellextService):

    • Automatically checks GitHub releases on Windows startup and periodically every 12 hours.
    • Dynamically detects the system drive (%SystemDrive%, e.g., C:\ApkShellext_ByAliSakkaf or D:\ApkShellext_ByAliSakkaf).
    • Downloads release assets silently, displays a user update notification, uninstalls older versions, updates files, and restarts explorer.exe smoothly.

  4. GitHub Version Tag Formatting:

    • Updated settings redirection logic to output clean 3-part version tags (e.g. v1.1.0) preventing GitHub 404 redirection errors.

  5. Streamlined Installer (install.bat):

    • Preserved automatic SmartScreen unblocking via PowerShell Unblock-File.

📦 Package Contents

  • ApkShellext.dll - Core COM server shell extension library.
  • ApkShellextService.exe - Background service with auto-updater engine.
  • libwebp_x64.dll & libwebp_x86.dll - Native WebP image decoders.
  • Google.Protobuf.dll - Protobuf parsing library.
  • install.bat - One-click administrative installer script.
  • uninstall.bat - Clean uninstaller script.
  • restart_explorer.bat - Explorer process restarter.
  • ar-SA\, de-DE\, es-ES\, fr-FR\, etc. - Resource folders for 15 localized languages.

🔧 Installation & Setup

  1. Download ApkShellext-v1.1.0.zip.
  2. Extract the archive to %SystemDrive%\ApkShellext_ByAliSakkaf (or any folder of your choice).
  3. Right-click install.bat and select Run as Administrator.
  4. Restart Explorer or your system to enjoy seamless icon previews!
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ApkShellext v1.0.1

ApkShellext v1.0.1

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@alisakkaf alisakkaf released this 20 Jul 18:17
v1.0.1
d513bf6

ApkShellext v1.0.1 - Bug Fixes & Security Update

Welcome to the ApkShellext v1.0.1 release, focusing on execution stability, resolving Windows SmartScreen warnings, and mapping support paths inside the Preferences form.

🛠️ Improvements & Bug Fixes in v1.0.1

  1. SmartScreen & Untrusted Script Fixes: Added self-unblocking PowerShell commands at the start of all installer and uninstaller batch scripts (install.bat, uninstall.bat, debug.bat). When run, the scripts automatically strip NTFS download Zone.Identifier metadata from themselves and adjacent DLLs/EXEs, preventing Windows from displaying security warnings or blocking execution.
  2. Clean Package Compression: Automated build cleanup switches to exclude compiler PDB files and temporary archives from user releases.

📦 Package Contents

  • ApkShellext.dll - Core COM server library.
  • ApkShellextService.exe - Background extraction service.
  • libwebp_x64.dll & libwebp_x86.dll - WebP decoders.
  • Google.Protobuf.dll - Protobuf utility library.
  • install.bat - Standard installation tool.
  • uninstall.bat - Standard uninstallation tool.
  • restart_explorer.bat - Quick Explorer restarter.
  • ar-SA\, de-DE\, es-ES\, fr-FR\, etc. - Resource folders for 15 localized languages.

🔧 Installation Guide

  1. Download and extract ApkShellext-v1.0.1.zip to a permanent directory on your machine.
  2. Right-click install.bat and select Run as Administrator.
  3. Choose whether to enable watermark overlays (Y or N).
  4. Restart your machine or run restart_explorer.bat to activate the extension.
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ApkShellext v1.0.0

ApkShellext v1.0.0

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@alisakkaf alisakkaf released this 19 Jul 21:20
v1.0.0
b64b197
This commit was created on GitHub.com and signed with GitHub’s verified signature.
GPG key ID: B5690EEEBB952194
Verified
Learn about vigilant mode.

ApkShellext v1.0.0 - Modern Rebuild

Welcome to the initial release of ApkShellext v1.0.0, a thoroughly modernized, refactored, and rebranded fork of the Windows Shell Extension for application packages.

This release targets modern operating systems, upgrades core framework packages, resolves long-standing build and execution locks, and implements advanced dynamic rendering features.

🚀 Key Features

  • Supported Formats: Fully supports native icon extraction, info-tips, and context-menus for Android (.apk), iOS (.ipa), and Windows App Packages (.appx & .appxbundle).
  • High-Performance Parsers: Native binary decoders for iOS binary Plist (bplist), iOS optimized PNG (PNGDecrush), Android Binary XML, and Android Resource Tables (.arsc).

🛠️ Improvements & Bug Fixes in v1.0.0

  1. Target Framework Upgrade: Upgraded targeting from old .NET versions to .NET Framework 4.8, providing superior memory management and execution stability on modern Windows kernels.
  2. Windows 11 & ARM64 Support: Certified compatibility across Windows 7, 8, 10, and Windows 11 on all major hardware architectures (x86, x64, and ARM64).
  3. Dynamic Watermark Scaling: Implemented a real-time font-size feedback loop to dynamically scale and center overlay overlays based on explorer grid size.
  4. 8-Directional Text Shadow Outline: Added high-contrast black border tracing around overlay text to ensure 100% legibility on any light, dark, or transparent background.
  5. Non-Disruptive Build Flow: Implemented build lock-bypassing using file renaming, allowing code modification and compilation without locking issues.
  6. Background Service Compilation Fix: Patched the PreBuildEvent error failure, allowing clean developer compilations out-of-the-box.
  7. Modern CLI Utilities: Replaced old install/uninstall batch scripts with clean, structured CLI installers.

📦 Package Contents

  • ApkShellext.dll - Core COM server library.
  • ApkShellextService.exe - Background extraction service.
  • libwebp_x64.dll & libwebp_x86.dll - WebP decoders.
  • Google.Protobuf.dll - Protobuf utility library.
  • install.bat - Standard installation tool.
  • uninstall.bat - Standard uninstallation tool.
  • restart_explorer.bat - Quick Explorer restarter.
  • ar-SA\, de-DE\, es-ES\, fr-FR\, etc. - Resource folders for 15 localized languages.

🔧 Installation Guide

  1. Download and extract ApkShellext-v1.0.0.zip to a permanent directory on your machine.
  2. Right-click install.bat and select Run as Administrator.
  3. Choose whether to enable watermark overlays (Y or N).
  4. Restart your machine or run restart_explorer.bat to activate the extension.
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