Most EXE and many DLL files contain Windows Resources. Resource include things like:
Program Icons, Version Information, Dialog Templates, String Resources, Bitmaps, etc.
Some of these resources are used by the Windows Explorer Shell to display a representation of your program. For example your program icon is read by Windows to display in file listings, and your version information is used to display a string about your program.
Thinstall is able to remove your program resource from the Windows visible portion of your EXE. The removed resources are placed inside the virtual filesystem and remain compressed on disk. When the program is loaded it will be decompressed and can be used by your program normally. Compressed resources cannot be accessed by outside programs, including the Windows Explorer Shell.
Modifying External Resource Visibility
Adding Windows XP Style Manifest
Changing your Program Icon
Windows 95/98/ME
On these platforms some versions of Thinstall will transparently extracts your resources to disk in the TEMP directory. The file created is delete when your program quits.