lessmsi is a free utility tool made by indie developer Scott Willeke for PC. It is an extraction tool that can be used to access and extract the contents of Windows installer files or more specifically, those with .msi file extension and was specifically made by Microsoft.

Similar to how Bat To Exe Converter and JaveExe were made for .exe files, so too was lessmsi meant for .msi installer packages. It allows users to manage them without having to prompt an installation process. It can be used with a command terminal or through its own GUI.

How does it work?

Files with the .msi extension aren't as widely used as its .exe brethren, but both contain programs meant for Windows. The key difference between them is that the latter doesn't always come with installers, while it's standard with the former. However, there will be instances where you just need to view them or want to extract specific content in them, and this is where tools like lessmsi come into play.

This program can be used with your command terminal or with its own graphical user interface. The latter features a simple layout that supports drag-and-drop functionality. Once a .msi file is added, it will immediately load all of its content and present it to you in a list. There are tabs dedicated to Table View, File Summary, and Data Streams should you want to know more detailed information about it.

From there, it's just a matter of selecting the ones you need and extracting them to your preferred location. It can also be integrated into the contextual menu via the Right-click mouse button for quicker access. If you plan on using it via command terminal, just know that it does not offer a way for you to choose specific files, only extracting them as a whole.

Simple and straightforward

lessmsi is a specialized tool created for a specific purpose, and it does well at it for what it is. It's fast and lightweight, straightforward to use, and just works as intended. While it won't be for everyone, when the need does arise, it can be counted on to get the job done. Recommended.