How to lớn convert EXE to lớn MSI

Repackaging an EXE file lớn a Windows Installer (MSI) package is a common task in management of IT environment. The typical use case is converting EXE to lớn MSI in order to run a silent installation which does not require any interactions with the end user. Follow these step-by-step instructions lớn convert EXE to lớn MSI. Alternatively, you can watch the video tutorial on converting EXE to lớn MSI with PACE Suite 5.3. You can find some best practices for repackaging EXE khổng lồ MSI packages below the instructions. You might be interested also in learning more about MSI packages in this article.

Convert EXE khổng lồ MSI: a step-by-step repackaging guide

In this tutorial, we are using MSI Generator, a part of our PACE Suite application packaging solution. Start with downloading a miễn phí trial:
After installing PACE Suite, launch MSI Generator.

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If you have User Account Control enabled, cliông chồng Yes in the opened window.Cliông chồng Capture installation.

đánh giá the issues, which were detected on your system, & try khổng lồ resolve sầu them by closing the non-essential applications & stopping services. Thereafter, cliông chồng Next.

Select the Monitoring method for the quicker capturing (or use the Snapshotting one if you need khổng lồ continue capturing after the system restart) và cliông xã Next.

Here you can Reviews and update package name, disable needless exlusion filters và scanning areas. Cliông xã Next khổng lồ start the capturing.

Clichồng Select & run… khổng lồ choose source installation for repackaging.

Select the installer file (e.g. Firefox Setup.exe) and cliông xã Open. Follow the installation dialogs of the launched source installation to lớn complete it. Once the source installation is completed, we recommend to lớn check if the Detected MSI installations tab does not contain found MSI installers. Even if your sources installation is an EXE file, it could contain embedded MSI installers, launched hiddednly. As you may know, repackaging existing vendor MSI installers into MSI is against Microsoft best practices. So, if the Detected MSI installations tab contains a found MSI installer, consider canceling this capturing (repackaging) process và switching khổng lồ editing it in MSI Editor. lưu ý that the found MSI installers are copied lớn the project thư mục.Now you can make any changes khổng lồ the tệp tin system & registry, which you want to capture & include to the package. For instance, you can create new or copy-paste existing files, import REG tệp tin to lớn the system registry, changes permission settings, or launch the installed application in order to capture the necessary application configurations, like disabling updates and so on.Finaly, khổng lồ complete the capturing, select I have sầu finished the installation và click Next.

Wait a little, while the capturing process is finishing, filtering captured data và creating the project. Leave selected the Customize project in editor & Copy all captured files lớn the project folder now options are selected & clichồng Finish.

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The following dialog displays captured files, which could not be copied khổng lồ the project thư mục because they vị not exist anymore or locked by the system or by an application. Try khổng lồ resolve sầu these issues và then cliông chồng Retry. Cliông xã Finish to lớn skip copying the missing & locked files và mark them as Excluded resources.

Once the project is opened in the project editor, you can just cliông xã Build MSI button, and that’s your 6 steps lớn convert EXE to lớn MSI. However, we recommend reviewing the captured resources at the Files, Registry, System resources, Permissions, và Shortcuts & FTAs tabs và excluding unnecessary ones from the project. Unnecessary resources are files, registry entries, which are usually created or modified in the result of operating system work, và such resources could not be a part of your captured application. Unfortunately, there is no universal rule lớn discover which of captured files or registry entries should be excluded, so exclude only those ones, which almost 100% vày not refer khổng lồ your captured application (e.g. NOD32 antivirut files couldn’t be a part of Firefox application). In order lớn review & exclude unnecessary files or folders, go to the Files tab, & select Exclude from the context menu of an thắng lợi, which is located in the left ‘Files Included’ pane.

In order to reviews và exclude unnecessary registry keys or values, go to lớn the Registry tab, & select Exclude from the context menu of an tác phẩm, which is located in the left ‘Registry Included’ pane.

In order to nhận xét & exclude unnecessary services, go lớn the System resources -> Services tab, và unkiểm tra the checkbox, located before the service name in the các mục, for those services, which you want to lớn exclude.

In order lớn Review & exclude unnecessary shortcuts, go lớn the Shortcuts và FTAs -> MSI shortcuts tab, & uncheck the checkbox, located before the shortcut name in the các mục, for those shortcuts, which you want to exclude.

Finaly, lớn convert EXE to MSI và build an MSI package from the project, navigate to lớn the Package -> MSI tab, update Application details such as name, publisher, version, language, select INSTALLDIR và clichồng Build MSI. Once the package is built, cliông xã Go to…, located next to lớn the MSI tệp tin name field, to lớn open the package containing thư mục in Windows Explorer. Congratulatuions, you’ve finished our convert EXE lớn MSI guide! Get a trialRequest a demoRead more

Repackaging best practices

We have picked certain important best practices from MSDoanh Nghiệp. The following danh sách is not exhaustive but it may help you produce a quality package when you convert EXE to MSI:Do not use the SelfReg & TypeLib tables.Installation package authors are strongly advised against using self registration và the SelfReg table. Instead they should register modules by authoring one or more of the tables in the Registry Tables Group. Many of the benefits of the Windows Installer are lost with self registration because self-registration routines tkết thúc khổng lồ hide critical configuration information. For a list of the reasons for avoiding self registration see SelfReg table.Installation package authors are strongly advised against using the TypeLib table. Instead of using the TypeLib table, register type libraries by using Registry table. If an installation using the TypeLib table fails và must be rolled bachồng, the rollbaông chồng may not restore the computer lớn the same state that existed prior to lớn the rollbaông xã.Do not try khổng lồ replace protected resources.Windows Installer packages should not attempt to replace protected resources during installation or update. The Windows Installer does not remove or replace these resources because Windows prevents the replacement of essential system files, folders, & registry keys. Protecting these resources prevents application and operating system failures. Windows Installer skips the installation of any tệp tin or registry key that is protected by Windows Resource Protection (WRP), the installer enters a warning in the log tệp tin, và continues with the remainder of the installation without an error.WRP is the new name for Windows File Protection (WFP). WRPhường protects registry keys and folders as well as essential system files. When the Windows Installer encountered a WFP-protected tệp tin, the installer would request that WFPhường install the tệp tin.Organize the installation of your application around components.The Windows Installer service installs or removes collections of resources referred to lớn as components. Because components are commonly shared, the author of an installation package must follow rules when specifying the components of a feature or application. Adhere khổng lồ the component rules when Organizing Applications into Components to ensure that new components, or new versions of components, can be installed & removed without damaging other applicationsThe installer tracks every component by the respective component ID GUID specified in the Component table. It is essential for the operation of the Windows Installer reference-counting mechanism that the component ID GUID is correct.If your package must break the component rules, be aware of the possible consequences & ensure that your installation never installs these components where they may damage components on the user’s system.Be aware how the Windows Installer applies the File Versioning Rules when Replacing Existing Files. The Windows Installer first determines whether the component’s key tệp tin is already installed before attempting to lớn install any of the files of the component. If the installer finds a file with the same name as the component’s key tệp tin installed in the target location, it compares the version, date, và language of the two key files & uses tệp tin versioning rules lớn determine whether lớn install the component provided by the package. If the installer determines it needs lớn replace the component base upon the key file, then it uses the tệp tin versioning rules on each installed file to determine whether to lớn replace the file. Get a trialRequest a demoRead more