How to open MSI Files on Mac: Open .msi File Using Keka

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MSI extension is a file that acts as an installation package that is developed by Microsoft for the Windows format. This Msi extension is usually used for Windows program installation.

If you are a Mac user, what if someone sends you an MSI extension file? I know it sounds stressful. You can’t just install and run a Windows app directly on a macOS. But, there is a way where you can extract the .msi files.

What is an .msi File?

MSI files are Windows installer package files that are used to distribute Windows updates and installers of third-party programs which were developed for the Windows system. MSI files are similar to EXE files, both are used to install and launch Windows programs.

Windows uses the Windows Installer program to open MSI files. The MSI files contain all the necessary information to install the software including the files that need to be installed on your computer, if you look inside most will be binary which can only be read by a specific application.

Why open the .msi file?

MSI files are meant to be open automatically with the help of the Windows installer if you double click on the file. Generally, Mac users don’t need any reasons to open a .msi file unless there is something like a text file, image, or document that you are looking for. MSI files are used for installation, storage, and removal of programs.

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If you want to open the MSI files on your Mac then you can definitely do that with the help of the keka application for free. You can understand that to install the .msi files work you might need something specific to fix an installation problem. If you want to know how to install .msi files on Mac follow the given below steps to find out the process.

How to Open MSI Files on Mac:

If you are a Mac user, the .msi files are not designed to be used with macOS. You may wonder what to do if I have to open a .msi extension file on my Mac? There is no built-in way to open an MSI extension file on Mac. But, you can totally open one with the help of an application named Keka.

There are so many other applications to open a .msi file but the keka is free. If you want to try any other application you can free to use it. Msi files are package or archive files like .zip or .rar files. This means that they contain multiple files packaged in them. So, you need a utility to extract the files from the Msi extension. The keka is providing the utility to open an MSI file.

Steps to Open the .msi File Using Keka:

The first thing to do is to install the Keka application on your Mac. Installation is pretty easy; you just have to download the file and then run it. After doing so, follow these steps to open .msi files on your Mac.

  1. Use Finder to reach the location of your .msi file.
  2. Right-click on the .msi file on your Mac
  3. Then choose Extract using Keka.
  4. Keka will provide you with a new folder with all of the files contained in the .msi file.
  5. Keka will also open the new folder created from the .msi where you can see all the files there.
  6. Finally, you can use or open any of these files, but remember that many of these files will be binary so when you try to open them they may be mostly unreadable.
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That’s it! Now you can freely open any .msi files on your Mac and use them for your work with the help of the keka application.

Do I need to install the App that is contained in the Msi?

If you need to install or run a certain .msi file, the only way you can do that is to use a Virtual Machine such as Parallel or VMWare. A virtual machine allows you to run another operating system such as Windows on your Mac desktop.

Another way you should learn to run a Windows environment on your Mac is to use Apple’s Boot Camp. With the help of Boot Camp, you can install a Windows environment right alongside your macOS and choose which one you want to use for your Mac.

Please keep in mind that the above steps are only for opening the .msi and extracting the files that are contained within it. But, if you need to install or run the .msi file, you only can do that in a Windows environment.

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Conclusion:

Hopefully, after reading this article you can now understand what is .msi file and how to open the MSI files on Mac. Now, if you ever need to work with .msi files and need to open you can do it with the help of an application. Did you use the application to open the MSI file on your Mac? Please let us know. Thanks for your cooperation.