Windows: can't edit EXE's resources with tools like rcedit

[jviotti]

I wonder if this is related to #128.

Looks like I can't brand pkg generated binaries with rcedit.

For example:

> rcedit.exe etcher.exe --set-version-string "FileDescription" "Foo"
Fatal error: Unable to change version string

> rcedit.exe etcher.exe --set-file-version "1.0.0"
Fatal error: Unable to change file version

[dsole]

I have a working (manual) solution that might help. I've been using this to get the version metadata into the exe that Squirrel/Windows looks for.
I use Resource Hacker but Im sure other tools can do the job.

This is what I do :

1. Compile the executable
pkg --targets node6-win-x86 index.js -o index.exe

2. Compile the VERSION INFO resource definition file to binary format
I then use ResourceHacker to compile a plain-text .rc file to a binary .res format
( You might not need to do this if you already have a .res file )
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Resource Hacker\ResourceHacker.exe" -open version-info.rc -action compile -save version-info.res

3. Import the VERSION INFO resource into the exe
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Resource Hacker\ResourceHacker.exe" -open index.exe -resource version-info.res -action add -save index-output.exe

That creates index-output.exe with the VERSION INFO resource added.

Here's an example of the plain text .rc file used in step 2 ( version-info.rc )

1 VERSIONINFO
FILEVERSION 1,0,0,0
PRODUCTVERSION 1,0,0,0
FILEOS 0x40004
FILETYPE 0x1
{
BLOCK "StringFileInfo"
{
    BLOCK "040904b0"
    {
        VALUE "FileDescription", "Version info test"
        VALUE "FileVersion", "1.0.0"
        VALUE "InternalName", "index.exe"
        VALUE "LegalCopyright", "Copyright (C) 2017"
        VALUE "OriginalFilename", "index.exe"
        VALUE "ProductName", "Version info test"
        VALUE "ProductVersion", "1.0.0"
        VALUE "SquirrelAwareVersion", "1"
    }
}

BLOCK "VarFileInfo"
{
	VALUE "Translation", 0x0409 0x04B0  
}
}

[mmamedel]

I had a similar need to change the EXE's resources and I wanted to use a simple tool like rcedit.
As you will see in the code below a lot can be done in different ways, but the spirit behind this solution is:

1. Download cache with pkg-fetch
2. Edit cache with rcedit
3. Use cache in pkg

Here is my typescript code:

import rcedit from 'rcedit'
import glob from 'glob'
import path from 'path'

process.env.PKG_CACHE_PATH = path.resolve('./.pkg-cache')
build()

async function build() {
  const pkgTarget = 'node14-win-x64'
  const cacheExe = await downloadCache(pkgTarget)

  await rcedit(cacheExe, {
    'product-version': '1,0.0.0',
    'file-version': '1,0.0.0',
    icon: path.resolve('./src/assets/icon.ico'),
    'version-string': {
      FileDescription: 'File description',
      ProductName: 'Program Name',
      LegalCopyright: `© ${new Date().getFullYear()} My Copyright.`,
      OriginalFilename: 'program.exe',
    },
  })

  const pkg = await import('pkg')
  const outputExe = path.resolve('./dist/output.exe')
  await pkg.exec([path.resolve('./dist/app.js'), ...['--target', pkgTarget], ...['--output', outputExe]])
}

async function downloadCache(pkgTarget: string): Promise<string> {
  const [nodeRange, platform, arch] = pkgTarget.split('-')
  const pkgFetch = await import('pkg-fetch')
  await pkgFetch.need({ nodeRange, platform, arch })
  const cacheExe = glob.sync(`${PKG_CACHE_PATH}/**/fetched*`)
  if (cacheExe.length < 1) throw new Error('Error downloading PKG cache')

  return cacheExe[0]
}

[github-actions]

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[jviotti]

I haven't tried this myself, but does anybody know if using rc.exe with a corresponding .rc file instead of rcedit.exe works fine? If so, it would indicate a problem with rcedit.exe rather than with this project.

[gcatto]

I have been trying to get @mmamedel 's script working for me, but no luck so far as it does not change the exe. I've tried applying https://github.com/vercel/pkg-fetch/issues/188 as well, but either way, the fetched- or built- file still has the original file definitions and then so does the output exe.

I am using CommonJS and require() instead of ES modules for this, but otherwise, but script is basically the same as the @mmamedel one above. Are other folks having issues or success?

I am on pkg@5.3.2 and pkg-fetch@3.2.3

[github-actions]

This issue is stale because it has been open 90 days with no activity. Remove the stale label or comment or this will be closed in 5 days. To ignore this issue entirely you can add the no-stale label

[github-actions]

This issue is now closed due to inactivity, you can of course reopen or reference this issue if you see fit.

[xenois]

I had a similar need to change the EXE's resources and I wanted to use a simple tool like rcedit. As you will see in the code below a lot can be done in different ways, but the spirit behind this solution is:

1. Download cache with pkg-fetch
2. Edit cache with rcedit
3. Use cache in pkg

Here is my typescript code:

import rcedit from 'rcedit'
import glob from 'glob'
import path from 'path'

process.env.PKG_CACHE_PATH = path.resolve('./.pkg-cache')
build()

async function build() {
  const pkgTarget = 'node14-win-x64'
  const cacheExe = await downloadCache(pkgTarget)

  await rcedit(cacheExe, {
    'product-version': '1,0.0.0',
    'file-version': '1,0.0.0',
    icon: path.resolve('./src/assets/icon.ico'),
    'version-string': {
      FileDescription: 'File description',
      ProductName: 'Program Name',
      LegalCopyright: `© ${new Date().getFullYear()} My Copyright.`,
      OriginalFilename: 'program.exe',
    },
  })

  const pkg = await import('pkg')
  const outputExe = path.resolve('./dist/output.exe')
  await pkg.exec([path.resolve('./dist/app.js'), ...['--target', pkgTarget], ...['--output', outputExe]])
}

async function downloadCache(pkgTarget: string): Promise<string> {
  const [nodeRange, platform, arch] = pkgTarget.split('-')
  const pkgFetch = await import('pkg-fetch')
  await pkgFetch.need({ nodeRange, platform, arch })
  const cacheExe = glob.sync(`${PKG_CACHE_PATH}/**/fetched*`)
  if (cacheExe.length < 1) throw new Error('Error downloading PKG cache')

  return cacheExe[0]
}

This will not work, as pgk-fetch will check EXPECTED_HASHES and rejects the binary if it does not match the hardcoded hash. You can hack the pgk-fetch in the node_modules, but that sucks as its .gitignored. The only "clean" solution is to work with a custom pkg (instead of npm install pgk) and do there the rcedit magic as explained above.