How to use the command Expand (with examples)

The Expand command is a Windows command line tool that allows you to uncompress one or more Windows Cabinet (.cab) files. It is commonly used to extract files from packaged installation programs or to decompress system files.

Use case 1: Uncompress a single-file Cabinet file to the specified directory

Code:

expand path\to\file.cab path\to\directory

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to extract a single-file Cabinet (.cab) archive to a specific directory. By providing the path to the .cab file and the directory where you want to extract the file, you can easily uncompress it.

Explanation: The expand command is used followed by the path to the .cab file you want to uncompress. Then, you need to specify the path to the destination directory where you want to extract the contents of the file.

Example output: The single file from the .cab archive will be extracted and placed in the specified directory.

Use case 2: Display the list of files in a source Cabinet file

Code:

expand path\to\file.cab path\to\directory -d

Motivation: When you have a Cabinet file and you want to know the list of files it contains, this use case will help. It allows you to view the file list without actually extracting the files.

Explanation: To display the list of files in a Cabinet (.cab) file, you need to add the -d option after the source file and destination directory.

Example output: The command will display a list of files along with their sizes within the Cabinet file.

Use case 3: Uncompress all files from the Cabinet file

Code:

expand path\to\file.cab path\to\directory -f:*

Motivation: In situations where you want to extract all files from a Cabinet file, this use case is handy. Instead of manually extracting each file, this command will save you time and effort.

Explanation: To uncompress all files from a Cabinet (.cab) file, you need to use the -f:* option. This tells the expand command to extract all files without specifying their names individually.

Example output: The command will decompress all files from the Cabinet file and place them in the specified directory.

Use case 4: Uncompress a specific file from a Cabinet file

Code:

expand path\to\file.cab path\to\directory -f:path\to\file

Motivation: Sometimes, you may only need to extract a specific file from a Cabinet file. In such cases, rather than extracting all the files, you can use this use case.

Explanation: To uncompress a specific file from a Cabinet (.cab) file, you need to use the -f:<file> option. Replace <file> with the path to the file you wish to extract. The file will be extracted to the specified directory.

Example output: The specified file will be extracted from the Cabinet file and placed in the specified directory.

Use case 5: Ignore the directory structure when uncompressing, and add them to a single directory

Code:

expand path\to\file.cab path\to\directory -i

Motivation: When you want to extract files from a Cabinet file but do not want to maintain the original directory structure, this use case is helpful. It allows you to extract all files directly into a single directory.

Explanation: To ignore the directory structure and extract all files directly to a single directory, you need to use the -i option. This option prevents the expand command from maintaining the original directory structure.

Example output: All files from the Cabinet file will be extracted and flattened into the specified directory without preserving their original directory structure.

Conclusion:

The expand command is a useful Windows command line tool for extracting files from Cabinet (.cab) archives. With its various options, you can uncompress specific files, view the list of files, ignore directory structure, and extract all files easily. Whether you are installing software or dealing with system files, the expand command can simplify the process of extracting the necessary files.