Frequently Asked Questions About MSI Creation

Here you can find answers on some frequently asked questions regarding MSI packages creation.

Table of Contents

What Is an MSI Extension?

MSI files represents Microsoft Installer, a component of Windows made for installing programs, especially those made by Microsoft. Microsoft eventually renamed its installer to Windows Installer and released the first version of this new installer in Microsoft Office 2000. Although Microsoft changed the installer's name, the file extension still remained MSI to avoid confusion.

What can I do with Orca tool?

Orca is a part of Windows Installer SDK. This tool allows you to view and modify MSI database tables directly. But this is a tool for low-level MSI editing, so you have to have a good MSI knowledge in order to use it.

How to install MSI in a silent mode?

You need execute msiexec.exe and pass it reference to MSI file and options that activate a silent installation: msiexec.exe /i installation.msi /qn

Freeware MSI Tools
  • Windows Installer XML (WiX) is a free toolset that allows to build MSI package from XML source code.
  • Orca is a free database table editor for creating and editing Windows Installer packages and merge modules.