Total Commander allows you to keep your wincmd.key file inside a ZIP archive in the program folder. your license file ( wincmd.key ).
Use KeyPath=$ in wincmd.ini and import the key into the registry.
a dedicated converter tool like the one documented by petermad to turn wincmd.key into a .reg file. Add the key to the registry using the following path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Ghisler\Total Commander Value Name: key (binary value).
You can run the totalcmd.exe installer with the /K switch to install the wincmd.key from the same folder. If you can tell me:
the wincmd.ini file (often in the same folder) includes the following line to make Total Commander recognize it: [Configuration] KeyPath=$ . Summary of Deployment
Use zero compression (store method) when creating the zip file, as TC cannot read compressed keys.