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General => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: TimoVJL on October 01, 2012, 08:16:02 PM

Title: How to examine msi package
Post by: TimoVJL on October 01, 2012, 08:16:02 PM
What program you use to examine msi package ?
Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: jack on October 01, 2012, 08:33:53 PM
I use 7-Zip http://www.7-zip.org/
Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: TimoVJL on October 01, 2012, 09:18:42 PM
It doesn't show anything useful from .msi file ???
Any better program ???
Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: Bitbeisser on October 01, 2012, 09:29:16 PM
It doesn't show anything useful from .msi file ???
Any better program ???
Define "useful"? It's nothing but a ZIP archive after all...  ???

Ralf
Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: TimoVJL on October 01, 2012, 09:34:06 PM
Define "useful"? It's nothing but a ZIP archive after all...  ???

Ralf
Filenames as LessMSI.exe
Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: Bitbeisser on October 01, 2012, 09:38:28 PM
Define "useful"? It's nothing but a ZIP archive after all...  ???

Ralf
Filenames as LessMSI.exe
Come again?

Ralf
Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: CommonTater on October 01, 2012, 09:51:28 PM
http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/File-Management/MSI-Extractor.shtml
Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: Bitbeisser on October 01, 2012, 09:55:38 PM
http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/File-Management/MSI-Extractor.shtml
That one just indiscriminately extracts the files in an .MSI archive, I am not sure if that is what he wants/needs.

Unfortunately, he has been a bit "brief" on what exactly he wants to do... ???

Ralf
Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: TimoVJL on October 01, 2012, 09:58:44 PM
Thanks CT.
@Ralf have ever examined msi file ???
Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: CommonTater on October 01, 2012, 10:00:18 PM
That one just indiscriminately extracts the files in an .MSI archive, I am not sure if that is what he wants/needs.

Hi Ralf...
And ... once you get them into a folder you can examine the heck out of the, :D

Quote
Unfortunately, he has been a bit "brief" on what exactly he wants to do... ???

Yep, that's our Timo... the very personification of brevity.  LOL...
Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: CommonTater on October 01, 2012, 10:01:12 PM
Thanks CT.
@Ralf have ever examined msi file ???

Hi Timo....  no worries... let me know if it's what you need.
Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: Bitbeisser on October 01, 2012, 10:05:45 PM
Thanks CT.
@Ralf have ever examined msi file ???
Well, it would help if you describe a bit more what exactly you are trying to achieve...

Ralf
Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: Bitbeisser on October 01, 2012, 10:07:32 PM
That one just indiscriminately extracts the files in an .MSI archive, I am not sure if that is what he wants/needs.

Hi Ralf...
And ... once you get them into a folder you can examine the heck out of the, :D
Well, but for that you do not need any obscure program, any ZIP compatible archiver will do just fine...   8)

Ralf
Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: TimoVJL on October 01, 2012, 10:16:01 PM
That program just extract files, you can't see what there is.
PS I'm not a so verbal person in english, so i except answers with some real things, not meanless soft talk.

I hope Ralf test LessMSI.exe to see what i mean.
Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: Bitbeisser on October 01, 2012, 10:20:45 PM
That program just extract files, you can't see what there is.
PS I'm not a so verbal person in english, so i except answers with some real things, not meanless soft talk.
Sorry, but at least as far as I am concerned, I have neither psychic nor Vulcan mind-reading capabilities, I can only go by what you describe/post...
Quote
I hope Ralf test LessMSI.exe to see what i mean.
Well, it would have helped in your previous reply if you would have made clear that you are referring to a specific program with that name. Just as you posted it, it just didn't make any sense...

Ralf
Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: TimoVJL on October 01, 2012, 10:30:13 PM
Filenames are very useful information in archive.
Well, if you open archive with 7-zip, you normally see file list, but not when you open msi file.
That's why i was asking if anyone knows such a program.
Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: Bitbeisser on October 01, 2012, 10:37:17 PM
Filenames are very useful information in archive.
Well, if you open archive with 7-zip, you normally see file list, but not when you open msi file.
That's why i was asking if anyone knows such a program.
Well, I am not sure what you are doing, but I see very well file names inside an MSI file if I look at it with 7Zip...
(http://)
Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: TimoVJL on October 01, 2012, 10:50:30 PM
So you have learn something new/more about msi.
I looked that picture and there are no filenames except few cab names.
Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: Bitbeisser on October 01, 2012, 11:14:03 PM
So you have learn something new/more about msi.
Well, no, nothing that I didn't already know...
Quote
I looked that picture and there are no filenames except few cab names.
What other filenames do you expect?
The cabs contain the actually to instal files (which will be visible if you click on the CAB files within 7Zip (or WinZIP, WinRAR, etc), as those are nothing but ZIP files them self...
And those !????? files are the rules files for the installer.

Beside that, now that I searched for LessMSI, I am even more confused as to what you are actually looking for.

After all, LessMSI is an Open Source program at Google Code, so what exactly now is your problem looking for a program to examine .msi files? (And the .MSI file format description is somewhere in the MS Windows SDK, AFAIK)

Ralf
Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: TimoVJL on October 01, 2012, 11:26:29 PM
So you have learn something new/more about msi.
Well, no, nothing that I didn't already know...
So i can't say anything more about that if you say so, i'm not a ....
But msi file must include lot more of information.

Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: Stefan Pendl on October 02, 2012, 01:32:52 AM
An MSI file is a database file merged with some CAB files.

The files starting with an exclamation point are the database "tables".

Orca shows more of the contained information and I think there is something called MSIedit too.
Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: Bitbeisser on October 02, 2012, 07:00:24 AM
So i can't say anything more about that if you say so, i'm not a ....
?
Quote
But msi file must include lot more of information.
What more information that the one you get by LessMSI are you looking for?
Or do you not get around to understand the C# source code for it?

Again, if you are a bit more descriptive as to what you are looking for (specially as a non-native English speaker, I am not one either), it might be easier for others to point you in the right direction...

Ralf
Title: Re: How to examine msi package
Post by: mtx500 on October 03, 2012, 04:11:49 PM
I use this one: http://msi2xml.sourceforge.net/