If you have ever come across an MSI file, you know that it is used to install software. However, there may be times when you want to know what it would install or even run the software without actually installing it. Fortunately, you can extract the beta from inside these files without having to install them.
Less MSI is a free and open-source software that can help you with this. Simply download it and save the zip file. Extract the contents of the zip file by right-clicking it and pressing extract all. This will create a folder named less MSI. Run lessmsi.exe to open the software.
You can then drag an MSI file into the less MSI window and see which files get created or extracted by it. You can extract specific files by shift-clicking and then selecting extract. However, the user interface is a bit problematic.
Less MSI has worked for some applications such as 7-zip, which has an MSI installer. However, there is no guarantee that all applications will work. The software only guarantees that it will extract the files.
Extracting files with less MSI can save you time and effort, especially if you want to see what is inside an MSI file without having to install it.