How to Convert EXE to MSI Package Installation repackaging is a method of installation transformation from one format to another. This method is used by repackaging tools to transform EXE installations to MSI packages. EXE to MSI Converter - an Automatic Installation Repackaging Solution. EMCO MSI Package Builder is an advanced EXE to MSI converter helps you to repackage legacy installations into silent MSI packages in order to prepare them for a remote unattended deployment by means of. EXE to MSI Converter - an Automatic Installation Repackaging Solution. EMCO MSI Package Builder is an advanced EXE to MSI converter helps you to repackage legacy installations into silent MSI packages in order to prepare them for a remote unattended deployment by means of Group Policy (GPO) or other tools. After researched and tested we found no Microsoft solution can convert EXE file to MSI file at present. You can use third party tools to achieve that, but these third party tools are not tested and confirmed by Microsoft. We provide two workarounds: 1. Contact software provider to get a MSI file. Another option is to convert MSI to EXE, which you can do with Ultimate MSI to EXE Converter. The program is very simple to use: select the MSI file and choose where to save the EXE file. There aren't any other options.

Sep 01, 2018  After researched and tested we found no Microsoft solution can convert EXE file to MSI file at present. You can use third party tools to achieve that, but these third party tools are not tested and confirmed by Microsoft. We provide two workarounds: 1. Contact software provider to get a MSI file. Repackaging - Converting an EXE to MSI: Sometimes you need to wrap a third party (legacy) installer up as an MSI to simplify distribution issues or to alter the way it installs. You probably have an 'exe' file and ideally you want to run an 'exe2msi' command (if only it were that simple!).

i want to convert a msi file in to an exe file. When i run msi file with qn option with msiexec then my software install silently. But now i want to convert that msi file into .exe file , and that exe file runs msi file with msiexec /i 'path of msi file' /qn option, any idea how to do it.

3 Answers

If you are making the setup yourself using Installshield, the tool itself should be able to create a setup.exe file by simply setting the release settings in the release wizard - I think it just entails setting the release 'Compressed' but it could require further settings.

Please follow these help file instructions precisely. It is possible that some versions of Installshield (express, older versions etc...) does not have this option, but frankly I doubt it. It should be there once you look.

Perhaps also see this youtube.com demonstration of the release wizard and this previous stackoverflow question: HowTo create InstallShield MSI with no files needed locally?

We can use 7zip SFX to create switch-less installers. here is a quick walk through

Requirements

• 7Zip: you can download latest version of 7zip from Official Site.

• 7Zip SFX Module: Official download page is here.

• Resource Hacker or any other resource editor (Optional): if you want to use a custom icon for you final executable you should use a resource editor app and replace the icon with your desired one. here is Resource Hacker app download link from it's developer website.

Step1:

Create a exec.bat file in the same folder of your msi file and copy your msiexec /i 'path of msi file' /qn in it. I used Installer.msi for my sample so here is my file:

Step2:

Compress msi and bat files to a 7z archive.(you can download and install 7zip from here) in the sample I compressed my Installer.msi and exec.bat to a installer.7z archive.

Step3:

Download and extract 7zSD (from 7zSfx link) and put the file in the same folder of archive, here is direct link to it.

Step4 (Optional):

We can change icon of the installer, to do this we should replace icon of 7zsd.sfx file, in Resource hacker we should open 7zsd.sfx and get to IconGroup > 101 > 1049 and replace the icon with a desired one. then save the new sfx file in the same folder of generated 7z Archive. I saved mine as 7zsdInstaller.sfx.

Step5:

We should create a config file to tell the Sfx file what to do after extracting the archive, here is the config file for the sample:

We should save it in the same folder of our 7z Archive, I named mine config.txt.

Step6:

Now we should combine our file to a single executable, to do this, first we should navigate our Command prompt to a folder we hold our generated files and then we should execute following command:

Now we should have a installer.exe in the same folder

You are supposed to use install shield product of flexa software. You can compress your msi into .exe with all supported files used for extraction at the time of installation.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged c#command-linewindows-installermsiexec or ask your own question.

A file with the .MSI file extension is a Windows Installer Package file. It's used by some versions of Windows when installing updates from Windows Update, as well as by third-party installer tools.

An MSI file holds all the information necessary for installing the software, including the files that should be installed and where on the computer those files should be installed to.

'MSI' originally stood for the title of the program that works with this format, which was Microsoft Installer. However, the name has since changed to Windows Installer, so the file format is now the Windows Installer Package file format.

MSU files are similar but are Windows Vista Update Package files used by Windows Update on some versions of Windows, and installed by the Windows Update Standalone Installer (Wusa.exe).

How to Open MSI Files

Windows Installer is what the Windows operating system uses to open MSI files when they're double-clicked. This doesn't need to be installed to your computer or downloaded from anywhere because it's built-in to Windows. Just opening the MSI file should invoke Windows Installer so you can install the files that are contained within it.

MSI files are packed in an archive-like format, so you can actually extract the contents with a file unzip utility like 7-Zip. If you have that or a similar program installed (most of them work similarly), you can right-click the MSI file and choose to open or extract the file to see all the files that are stored inside.

Using a file unzip tool is also useful if you want to browse the MSI files on a Mac. Since the MSI format is used by Windows, you can't just double-click it on a Mac and expect it to open.

Keep in mind that being able to extract the parts that make up an MSI file does not mean that you can 'manually' install the software the MSI would do for you automatically.

How to Convert an MSI File

To convert MSI to ISO is possible only after you extract the files to a folder. Use a file unzip tool like we described above so that the files can exist in a regular folder structure. Then, with a program like WinCDEmu installed, right-click the folder and select Build an ISO image.

Another option is to convert MSI to EXE, which you can do with Ultimate MSI to EXE Converter. The program is very simple to use: select the MSI file and choose where to save the EXE file. There aren't any other options.

Introduced in Windows 8 and similar to MSI, APPX files are app packages that run on the Windows OS. Visit Microsoft's website if you need help converting MSI to APPX. Also, see the tutorial at CodeProject.

How to Edit MSI Files

Editing MSI files isn't as straightforward and easy as editing most other file formats like DOCX and XLSX files because it's not a text format. However, Microsoft does have the Orca program, as part of the Windows Installer SDK, that can be used to edit an MSI file.

You can also use Orca in a standalone format without needing the whole SDK. Technipages has a copy here. After you install Orca, just right-click an MSI file and choose Edit with Orca.

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Still Can't Open Your File?

Tool To Convert Exe To Msi File

Given the number of file formats out there, and that most of them use a file extension that's just three letters long, it would make sense that many would use some of the same letters. This can get pretty confusing when they're spelled almost identically.

Makemsi

However, it's important to realize that two similarly spelled file extensions doesn't necessarily mean that the file formats are similar or that they can open with the same software. You could have a file that looks an awful lot like the extension says 'MSI' but it really doesn't.

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For example, MIS files are either Marble Blast Gold Mission or Saved Game Mission files used by some video games, and they have absolutely nothing to do with Windows Installer.

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Another is the MSL file extension that belongs to Mapping Specification Language files and Magick Scripting Language files. The former file type works with Visual Studio and the latter with ImageMagick, but neither work anything like MSI files.

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The bottom line: if your 'MSI' file won't open, make sure you're actually dealing with an MSI file by double-checking the file extension.