MSI to TAR Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
TAR preserves the exact file tree and permissions that Linux tooling expects. If your files are still in MSI format, this page is the shortcut: MSI is the Windows Installer database: a COM-structured file holding the program files, registry entries and install logic of an application. Everything an installer would unpack lives inside it.
iLoveConverter processes everything locally on your computer, which makes it private and fast: no upload wait, no server storage, no limits. Add as many files as you like — batch conversion is built in.
How MSI compares to TAR
| MSI | TAR | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Storage + CAB payloads | None (pair with gzip/zstd) |
| Encryption | None ( DRM separately) | None |
| Bundling | COM structured storage | Unix-faithful bundling |
| Best for | Windows software distribution | Linux packaging and source trees |
How to convert MSI to TAR
- 1
Select your files
Drag & drop your MSI files onto the area above, or click to browse. You can add multiple files at once for batch conversion.
- 2
Convert instantly
Click "Convert to TAR". The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly — no upload, no queue, no waiting.
- 3
Download results
Download each converted TAR file individually, or grab everything at once as a ZIP archive.
About the MSI format
MSI is the Windows Installer database: a COM-structured binary that holds every file, shortcut, registry entry and install sequence an application needs. Running the installer is one way in — extraction is the other, and it needs no Windows at all.
Extracting an MSI lays out its contents as files: binaries, DLLs, resources, even the install logic tables. Security teams audit them this way, IT departments pre-stage deployments this way, and curious users finally learn what "installing" actually does.
+ Strengths
- ✓Inspect installers without running them
- ✓Works cross-platform — no Windows needed
- ✓Files come out exactly as the installer would lay them
! Limitations
- −Registry and shortcut logic are not files
- −Large installers extract to large trees
- −Nested CAB payloads may need a second pass
About the TAR format
TAR (tape archive) is Unix's fifty-year-old answer to bundling: it concatenates files with headers into a single stream, preserving POSIX permissions, ownership and symlinks — but compressing nothing. It is the container half of the classic .tar.gz pairing and the native format of Linux source trees and backups.
Being pure bundling, TAR pairs with a compressor: gzip (the classic), bzip2, zstd. Alone, a TAR is the same size as its contents. Windows 10+ ships bsdtar, so even Windows can unpack it now — permissions aside, where NTFS has no room to be faithful.
+ Strengths
- ✓Preserves Unix permissions and symlinks
- ✓Streamable: works over pipes and tapes
- ✓The standard of Linux distribution and backup
! Limitations
- −No compression by itself
- −No built-in encryption
- −Permissions meaningless on Windows filesystems
Why convert MSI to TAR?
There is a concrete reason this conversion exists: Registry and shortcut logic are not files TAR sidesteps that — Preserves Unix permissions and symlinks If that is your situation, the tool above settles it in seconds, entirely on your device.
Frequently asked questions
Is this MSI to TAR converter really free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no daily conversion limits. The site is supported by advertising.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device — that is what makes it instant and private.
Does it work on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android?
Yes. Anything with a modern browser works: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. No software installation is required.
Is there a file size limit for MSI to TAR?
The only limit is your device's memory, since nothing is uploaded. Files up to a few hundred megabytes work fine on a modern desktop browser; very large files simply take a little longer.
Are the files inside my MSI archive modified?
No. Contents are unpacked in memory and repacked into TAR byte-for-byte — the conversion changes the container, never the files inside it.
Is there a size limit for archive conversion?
There is no upload cap because nothing is uploaded — the practical limit is your device memory. A few hundred megabytes of unpacked content works comfortably on a modern computer.