How do Microsoft Windows installer (.msi) files actually work?
msi files began life in 1995 as a Microsoft project codenamed "Darwin" (note: Darwin is also the name for the X-Box 360's motion controller developed by Motus Games - not related!!!). What advantages do .msi files have over simple xcopy?
The key idea behind msi/Darwin is application installation as a transaction.
.msi files are essentially structure storage files and are best analysed using orca.exe. This is part of WinInstaller SDK but some websites will let you grab the individual file.
No comments:
Post a Comment