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.msi

High risk

Windows Installer Package

The standard Windows installer container. Holds install, upgrade, repair, and uninstall instructions.

MIME types

  • application/x-msi
  • application/x-ole-storage

Category

executable

What opens this file

  • Windows Installer
  • msiexec
  • Orca (Microsoft's MSI editor)

How to open by OS

Windows

  • Double-click to install, or `msiexec /i`.

Mac

  • Via Wine.

Linux

  • Via Wine.

Ios

  • Not applicable.

Android

  • Not applicable.

Safety notes

  • Installing an unsigned MSI after UAC grants administrative privileges — always check the publisher signature.
  • Privilege-escalation CVEs (e.g. CVE-2023-21800) have affected MSI rollbacks. Keep Windows patched.

Common mistakes

  • Silent installs with msiexec /q hide failures. Always capture a log via /l*v when automating.
  • Renaming doesn't change the contents — verify with the File Signature Checker.

Related extensions

References