diff --git a/exe_builder.iss b/exe_builder.iss
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9ef8bb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/exe_builder.iss
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+#define sysfolder "system"
+#define version GetEnv("ELLIEBOT_INSTALL_VERSION")
+#define target "win-x64"
+#define platform "net8.0"
+
+[Setup]
+AppName = {param:botname|EllieBot}
+AppVersion={#version}
+AppPublisher=Toastie
+DefaultDirName={param:installpath|{commonpf}\EllieBot}
+DefaultGroupName=EllieBot
+UninstallDisplayIcon={app}\{#sysfolder}\ellie_icon.ico
+Compression=lzma2
+SolidCompression=yes
+UsePreviousLanguage=no
+UsePreviousSetupType=no
+UsePreviousAppDir=no
+OutputDir=ellie-installers/{#version}/
+OutputBaseFilename=ellie-setup-{#version}
+AppReadmeFile=https://commands.elliebot.net/
+ArchitecturesInstallIn64BitMode=x64
+DisableWelcomePage=yes
+DisableDirPage=yes
+DisableFinishedPage=yes
+DisableReadyMemo=yes
+DisableProgramGroupPage=yes
+WizardStyle=modern
+UpdateUninstallLogAppName=no
+CreateUninstallRegKey=no
+Uninstallable=no
+
+[Files]
+;install 
+Source: "src\EllieBot\bin\Release\{#platform}\{#target}\publish\*"; DestDir: "{app}\{#sysfolder}"; Permissions: users-full; Flags: recursesubdirs onlyifdoesntexist ignoreversion createallsubdirs; Excludes: "*.pdb, *.db"
+
+;reinstall - i want to copy all files, but i don't want to overwrite any data files because users will lose their customization if they don't have a backup, 
+;            and i don't want them to have to backup and then copy-merge into data folder themselves, or lose their currency images due to overwrite.
+Source: "src\EllieBot\bin\Release\{#platform}\{#target}\publish\*"; DestDir: "{app}\{#sysfolder}"; Permissions: users-full; Flags: recursesubdirs ignoreversion onlyifdestfileexists createallsubdirs; Excludes: "*.pdb, *.db, data\*, credentials.json, creds.yml";
+Source: "src\EllieBot\bin\Release\{#platform}\{#target}\publish\data\*"; DestDir: "{app}\{#sysfolder}\data"; Permissions: users-full; Flags: recursesubdirs onlyifdoesntexist createallsubdirs;
+; overwrite strings and aliases
+Source: "src\EllieBot\bin\Release\{#platform}\{#target}\publish\data\aliases.yml"; DestDir: "{app}\{#sysfolder}\data\"; Permissions: users-full; Flags: recursesubdirs ignoreversion onlyifdestfileexists createallsubdirs;
+Source: "src\EllieBot\bin\Release\{#platform}\{#target}\publish\data\strings\*"; DestDir: "{app}\{#sysfolder}\data\strings"; Permissions: users-full; Flags: recursesubdirs ignoreversion onlyifdestfileexists createallsubdirs;
+
+[Dirs]
+Name:"{app}\{#sysfolder}\data"; Permissions: everyone-modify
+Name:"{app}\{#sysfolder}\config"; Permissions: everyone-modify
+Name:"{app}\{#sysfolder}"; Permissions: everyone-modify
+
+; [Run]
+; Filename: "https://docs.elliebot.net/ellie/"; Flags: postinstall shellexec runasoriginaluser; Description: "Open setup guide"
+; Filename: "{app}\{#sysfolder}\creds.yml"; Flags: postinstall shellexec runasoriginaluser; Description: "Open creds file"
+
+[Icons]
+; for pretty install directory
+Name: "{app}\EllieBot"; Filename: "{app}\{#sysfolder}\EllieBot.exe"; IconFilename: "{app}\{#sysfolder}\nadeko_icon.ico"
+Name: "{app}\creds"; Filename: "{app}\{#sysfolder}\creds.yml" 
+Name: "{app}\data"; Filename: "{app}\{#sysfolder}\data" 
+
+; desktop shortcut 
+Name: "{commondesktop}\{#SetupSetting("AppName")}"; Filename: "{app}\EllieBot";
+
+[Code]
+function GetFileName(const AFileName: string): string;
+begin
+  Result := ExpandConstant('{app}\{#sysfolder}\' + AFileName);
+end;
+
+procedure CurStepChanged(CurStep: TSetupStep);
+begin
+  if (CurStep = ssPostInstall) then
+  begin
+      FileCopy(GetFileName('creds_example.yml'), GetFileName('creds.yml'), True);
+  end;
+end;
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