MSI Wrapper 9.0

MSI Wrapper can help you convert executable installers to MSI packages. The program is intended mainly for software developers and network administrators. It solves the problem of installing software on various networked machines through Active Directory group policies.

Despite the complexities inherent to working on software development and distribution, MSI Wrapper makes the wrapping process extremely easy, thanks to the availability of a wizard to guide you through several steps.

As you advance through the wizard, you notice the possibilities that this product has to offer. First, you need to load the intended executable file and supply a name and a location for the target MSI package. Luckily, you can import a complete folder if it is needed. You can also have control over the package size by choosing the desired compression level. Next, it is allowed to decide on the security levels (elevation) that are required for installation as well as the installation context (per machine, per user and automatic).

After that, you should provide the application ID to support product upgrade and uninstall. It is also possible to customize the package’s icon as well as provide the help, update, and contact links. Luckily, this last operation can be done manually or by letting the program look the links up in the registry. Finally, you can use commands to customize installing and uninstalling as well provide before-install and after-install commands. Fortunately, the settings can be saved and reused at another time.

In short, MSI Wrapper comes in handy mostly for network administrators, as it allows them to wrap EXE installers in such a way that they can be better distributed to the workstations using Group Policy Objects and System Center Configuration Manager. Thus, the time spent on creating the MSI packages saves a lot of time and effort on distribution. The product is free. However, you should know that there is a more complete paid edition, called Pro, which supports, for example, including other files and folders in the MSI package or building an MSI from batch files.