(c) 2026 MasonGroup - All Rights Reserved
MasonBinder is a professional file binding utility that combines multiple files into a single self-extracting executable (.exe) Built with pure Win32 API in C for maximum performance and a classic light UI
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Self-Extracting EXE | Generates a standalone .exe that extracts and runs files |
| RLE Compression | Built-in Run-Length Encoding compression engine |
| Per-File Drop Paths | Each file can have its own extraction path (AppData, Temp, Current, Custom) |
| Execution Modes | Running, Runonce (first launch only), No Run |
| Startup Persistence | Registry Run key or Task Scheduler persistence |
| Hidden Extraction | Extract files with Hidden + System attributes |
| Sleep Delay | Per-file configurable delay before execution |
| Icon Embedding | Set a custom .ico icon for the output executable |
| UAC Manifest | Inject requireAdministrator or asInvoker manifest |
| File Size Pump | Increase output file size with zero-padding |
| Self-Delete (Melt) | Output EXE deletes itself after extraction |
| Drag & Drop | Drop files directly onto the window |
| CRC32 Verification | Integrity checking during extraction |
| Up to 512 Files | Bind up to 512 files in a single executable |
MasonBinder/
MasonBinder.c Main application (UI + build logic)
MasonStub.c Self-extracting stub engine (embedded in output EXE)
MasonGenStub.c Utility to convert MasonStub.exe into a C header
icon.rc Resource file for application icon
icon.ico Application icon
README.md This file
- MinGW / GCC (with Windows SDK headers)
- windres (part of MinGW, for compiling icon resource)
1. Compile the Stub (self-extracting engine):
gcc -O2 -s -mwindows -o MasonStub.exe MasonStub.c -lshell32 -lole32 -luser32 -ladvapi32
2. Generate the Stub header file:
gcc -O2 -o MasonGenStub.exe MasonGenStub.c
MasonGenStub.exe MasonStub.exe MasonStubData.h
This converts MasonStub.exe into a C byte array header (MasonStubData.h) that gets embedded into MasonBinder
3. Compile the icon resource:
windres icon.rc -o icon.o
4. Compile MasonBinder:
gcc -O2 -s -mwindows -o MasonBinder.exe MasonBinder.c icon.o -lcomctl32 -lcomdlg32 -lshell32 -lole32 -lgdi32 -luser32 -ladvapi32
5. Cleanup temporary files (optional):
del MasonGenStub.exe MasonStub.exe icon.o MasonStubData.h
gcc -O2 -s -mwindows -o MasonStub.exe MasonStub.c -lshell32 -lole32 -luser32 -ladvapi32 && gcc -O2 -o MasonGenStub.exe MasonGenStub.c && MasonGenStub.exe MasonStub.exe MasonStubData.h && windres icon.rc -o icon.o && gcc -O2 -s -mwindows -o MasonBinder.exe MasonBinder.c icon.o -lcomctl32 -lcomdlg32 -lshell32 -lole32 -lgdi32 -luser32 -ladvapi32 && del MasonGenStub.exe MasonStub.exe icon.o
- Launch
MasonBinder.exe - Right-click the list area and select Add Files or drag files onto the window
- Right-click any file to configure: Drop Path, Execution Mode, Startup, Hidden, Sleep
- Set global options at the bottom: Drop location, Compress, Hidden, UAC, Melt, Pump
- Optionally click Icon... to set a custom icon for the output EXE
- Click BUILD EXE to generate the self-extracting executable
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Add Files... | Browse and add files to the list |
| Remove | Remove selected file from list |
| Move Up / Down | Reorder file execution priority |
| Drop Path | Set per-file extraction path (AppData, Temp, Current, Custom) |
| Execution | Running / Runonce / No Run |
| Startup | None / Registry / Scheduler persistence |
| Hidden | Toggle hidden file attribute |
| Sleep... | Set delay in milliseconds before execution |
| Reset to Default | Reset all per-file settings |
| Clear All | Remove all files from list |
The output EXE has this internal structure:
+---------------------------+
| MasonStub.exe (PE) | Stub engine
+---------------------------+
| Icon + Manifest resources | Optional (embedded via UpdateResource)
+---------------------------+
| MASON_ARCHIVE_HEADER | Magic, version, file count, flags
+---------------------------+
| MASON_FILE_ENTRY[0..N-1] | Per-file metadata (name, size, flags, drop path)
+---------------------------+
| File Data Block 0..N-1 | Raw or RLE-compressed file data
+---------------------------+
| Pump Data (optional) | Zero-padding for size increase
+---------------------------+
| MASON_STUB_FOOTER | Archive offset, global drop path, flags, magic
+---------------------------+
This software is proprietary to MasonGroup Unauthorized reproduction or distribution is prohibited
(c) 2026 MasonGroup Engineering Division