How to Pack an Electron App into a Single Executable

BoxedApp Packer bundles an Electron application into one self-contained EXE. All app files and Electron binaries are embedded and served by a virtual file system - no installation, no temp files, sources remain private.

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Why the Traditional Distribution Hurts

  • No true single-file deliverable; many loose files and folders.
  • App sources and resources are easy to inspect.
  • No simple way to protect assets or add a splash screen.
  • Harder to run from USB or network without installation.

With BoxedApp Packer you ship a single EXE. Embedded files are not unpacked to disk - they are read from memory through the virtualization layer.

Pack the Files

  1. Launch BoxedApp Packer and select electron.exe as the input executable.
  2. Specify the output EXE path (you can change the file name).
  3. Electron typically requires passing the app folder name to electron.exe. The command line looks like:
    electron.exe file-explorer
    In Packer, enable Override command line and set:
    <BoxedAppVar:OldCmdLine> file-explorer
  4. In Application Directory add the Electron binaries (except electron.exe itself), then import directories: first your app folder (file-explorer in this example), then locales, then resources.
  5. Build. The output is a single executable. Run it - it works!

Screenshots

Select electron.exe in BoxedApp Packer
1. Select electron.exe
Set output EXE name
2. Set output name
Override command line
3. Override command line
Add Electron binaries
4. Add files
Import app directories
5. Import directories
Built EXE - runs successfully
6. Build and run

Benefits

  • Single-file delivery for easy distribution and auto-updates.
  • Assets stay private; files are not written to disk.
  • Run from USB or network share; no installation required.
  • Add icon, splash screen, and custom launch parameters.
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