How to Open EXE and MSI Files on Windows

If you are unsure how to open EXE and MSI Files, this overview may help

EXE File

Files on your computer with the extension .exe are called executable files. Such format is one of the most common formats in the Windows operating system, where it is exploited to install or run programs. The EXE format is also exploited for packing and transferring small scripts and macros since this allows you to create just one file (and also a small one). If you have some problems with opening EXE file, visit https://wikiext.com/ and read detailed instruction how to open this type of file.

Double click on the EXE file to start it. EXE files in Windows are executable files designed to run programs.

If the EXE file was downloaded from the Internet, a dialog box appears asking if you desire to confirm the action. Be careful when working with EXE files downloaded from unknown sources, since this is the easiest way to get infected with a virus. Never open an EXE file attached to an email, even if you know the sender.

EXE files may not work properly if they are intended for an outdated version of Windows. You can try to change the compatibility settings by right-clicking on the file and selecting “Properties”, and then clicking on the “Compatibility” tab. On this tab, choose the version of Windows from which you desire to run the EXE file (but this won’t fix the problem for sure).

Registry Editor

Open Registry Editor if you can’t run the EXE file. If you get an error message when you try to run the EXE file or nothing happens at all, you may have problems with the Windows registry settings. Editing the registry is not so easy, but you can quickly learn to perform these actions.

• In order to open Registry Editor, click ⌘ Win + R and type regedit.
• Open the .HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe folder. To do this, use the left panel.
• Right-click the “(Default)” entry and select “Edit.” A new window will open.
• In the Value line, type .exefile. Click OK.
• Open the .HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile folder. To do this, use the left panel.
• Right-click the “(Default)” entry and select “Edit.” A new window will open.
• In the “Value” line, enter. “%1″%*. Click OK.
• Open the .KEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open folder. To do this, use the left panel.
• Right-click the “(Default)” entry and select “Edit.” A new window will open.
• In the “Value” line, enter. “%1″%*. Click OK.

Restart the PC. After editing these three registry entries, quit Registry Editor and run the computer again. After that you can open EXE files. But for starters, it is recommended to try to determine the cause of the problem. For example, it’s possible that your system is infected with malicious programs; in that case, you have to delete them.

MSI File

An MSI extension is a file that is usually associated with the Microsoft Windows Installer service, which is a Windows component, starting with Windows 2000. The MSI file contains an installation package for fast and flawless installation on the Windows platform. The MSI file can be used by third-party developers to install software and to update Windows. These files contain all the info that the Windows installer needs to install or uninstall the app or product, and to configure the user interface.

Each such installation package includes a *.MSI file, which is a composite OLE document containing an installation database – a set of interrelated tables containing various information about the product and the installation process. In addition to the database, you can put custom scripts (written in JScript, VBScript or Eclipse) in the .MSI file and auxiliary DLLs, if they are required for installation, as well as the installed files packed in .CAB format.

The file with the MSI extension can also be unpacked using archivers, for example, 7-Zip or by using the command line utility (cmd.exe), in which you should execute the command: msiexec/ac:\filename.msi/qbTARGETDIR=c:\tmp.