alphabetical list of extensions

File extension .MSI

File description

Files that comprise of the MSI file format are useful in keeping the installer files for the Windows operating system.

While a user installs a Microsoft program on their system, the application uses a Windows Installer package file to install the program onto the system’s hard drive. The MSI files then inform the system as which files they should be installed and where they should be installing the files on the computer. Such file format is mainly structured as a miniature database that is being designed in a structured storage file. Moreover to performing the software installations, the MSI files can be utilized to perform all the Windows related updates and third-party application installations.

Description of the problem

If you have on your computer a .MSI file that you cannot open, you are in exactly the same situation as thousands of other people who have similar problems with this or any other unknown file.

There may be several reasons why you cannot open the file with .MSI extension. Directly on this website you can find a solution of the most common problem with the .MSI file – that you do not have on your computer the appropriate program to open the file.

Solution

From the list below, select the appropriate program, install it and double click on the icon of a file that did not want to open - the problem with the .MSI file extension should be solved. However, if this does not happen, go back to the website to learn about other possible causes of the error, which have been described at the bottom of the website.

Other possible reasons why your .MSI file does not want to open

In addition to the problem described above, i.e. the lack of the appropriate application to support the .MSI file, there may be several reasons that cause problems with opening and operation of the data format:

1. Incorrect version of the installed application

A quite common problem is the lack of application in the appropriate version. Even if you have an application, with the help of which you should open the .MSI file, you may have a problem with it because of its version. Perhaps in previous versions the application has not yet supported the .MSI file, so download the update and check again.

2. Incorrect .MSI file association with the program

If you have already installed the appropriate application, and it is the correct version, the file may not open correctly, because the operating system does not have information that this program supports the file. So you need to "show" which program the computer should use. To do this:

Right-click the .MSI file
Go to the "Open with" - then "Choose default program ..."
Locate the appropriate application
Click "OK"

3. The file is corrupt

It also happens that the file you want to open is corrupt and therefore there is no such possibility. In this situation, you should find its different version, or ask a person from whom you got, to send it again.