How to Package a Spring Boot Application into an Executable (EXE) Using exe4j and Inno Setup

The article describes a step‑by‑step process for turning a functional Spring Boot JAR file into a standalone Windows executable and installer, aimed at users who need a simple double‑click installation experience.

Preparation : Ensure you have a bug‑free JAR, download exe4j (extraction code: 6esr, registration code provided) and Inno Setup (extraction code: g9jd).

Creating the EXE with exe4j : Open exe4j, select the "Java to EXE" wizard, set the project name and output path, choose the launch mode, and enable the option to support both 32‑bit and 64‑bit systems. In the VM parameters field add -Dfile.encoding=utf-8. Configure the JRE settings to bundle a local JRE with the executable.

Packaging with Inno Setup : Launch Inno Setup, create a new script, and fill in basic information such as application name and version. Add the generated EXE and the bundled JRE directory to the script. Example script line for including the JRE:

Source: "自己本地JRE路径\*"; DestDir: "{app}\{#MyJreName}"; Flags: ignoreversion recursesubdirs createallsubdirs

Proceed through the wizard, selecting language, output folder, and installer name. Accept default settings for most pages, then compile the script. After compilation a setup.exe file appears on the desktop.

Running setup.exe installs the application and creates a shortcut. The resulting program can be distributed to users who do not have a JDK or Java runtime installed.