Types of MSI Files

Main MSI Affiliation

.MSI

Formatting:	.msi
Category:	Windows Installer Package

MSI file is a package of installation information for a particular installer. It is used for Windows updates and third-party software installers.

Organization:	Microsoft Corporation
Division:	Uncommon Files
Folder:	HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.msi

Software Programs That Open The Windows Installer Package:

7-Zip by Igor Pavlov

Windows

Android

Linux

Windows Installer by Microsoft Corporation

Windows

Optional Offer for FileViewPro by Solvusoft | EULA | Privacy Policy | Terms | Uninstall

MSI File Complications

Frequent MSI Opening Issues

7-Zip Removed

When you double-click your MSI file, you may see a dialog box from your operating system stating that it "Cannot Open This File Type". Generally, this is experienced in %%os%% because 7-Zip isn't installed on your PC. This will prevent you from double-clicking to open the MSI file because the OS doesn’t know how to handle it.

Tip: If you don't have 7-Zip installed, and you know of another program to open your MSI file, you can try opening it by selecting from the programs listed under "Show Apps".

Outdated 7-Zip

In other instances, your Windows Installer Package file version may not be supported by your version of 7-Zip. Installing the latest version of 7-Zip from Igor Pavlov is recommended. The primary cause of this problem is that your Windows Installer Package file was created by a different (newer) version of 7-Zip than what's installed.

Tip: Right-clicking on your MSI, then clicking "Properties" (Windows) or "Get Info" (Mac), can provide clues about your file version.

Ultimately, most of the difficulties opening MSI files are due to having the wrong version of 7-Zip installed.

Other MSI File Opening Causes

Although you might already have 7-Zip or another MSI-associated software installed on your computer, you can still encounter problems opening Windows Installer Package files. If you're still experiencing problems opening MSI files, there could be other computer problems. Other contributing causes:

• MSI file references in the Windows Registry are broken
• Mistaken removal of the Windows registry MSI description
• Defective install of a MSI program, such as 7-Zip
• File corruption affecting your MSI file
• MSI file integrity has been compromised by malware
• Hardware related to MSIs has device driver corruption
• Your computer does not have the adequate system resources to open the Windows Installer Package format