Orca.exe (Windows)

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Orca.exe

Orca.exe is a database table editor for creating and editing Windows Installer packages and merge modules. The tool provides a graphical interface for validation, highlighting the particular entries where validation errors or warnings occur.

This tool is only available in the Windows SDK Components for Windows Installer Developers. It is provided as an Orca.msi file. After installing the Windows SDK Components for Windows Installer Developers, double click Orca.msi to install the Orca.exe file.

Syntax

orca [<options>][<source file>]

Command Line Options

Orca.exe uses the following case-insensitive command line options. A slash delimiter may also be used in place of a dash.

OptionDescription
-qQuiet mode
-s<database> Schema database ["orca.dat" - default]
-?Help dialog

 

Orca.exe uses the following case-insensitive command line options with merge modules. A slash delimiter may also be used in place of a dash. When performing a merge the -f, -m and <sourcefile> are all required.

OptionDescription
-cCommit merge to database if no errors.
-! Commit merge to a database even if there are errors.
-m<module> Merge Module to merge into database.
-fFeature[:Feature2] Feature(s) to connect to Merge Module.
-r<directory id> Directory entry for the module root redirection.
-x<directory> Extract files to an image under the directory.
-g<language> Language used to open a module.
-l<log file> File to use as a log, append if it already exists.
-i<directory> Extract files to the source image under the directory.
-cab<filename> Extract the MSM cabinet to file.
-lfn Use Long File Names during the extraction.
-configure<filename> Configure the module using data from a file.

 

Related topics

Windows Installer Development Tools
Released Versions, Tools, and Redistributables

 

 

Send comments about this topic to Microsoft

Build date: 2/3/2012

Community Content

Thomas Particke
Orca
Orca

KoenEijken
getting orca.msi
To get Orca download the Windows (7) SDK ISO, mount, burn or extract it. Then install the :\Setup\WinSDKTools\WinSDKTools_x86.msi

After the WinSDKTools.msi is installed the Orca.Msi is located in: \Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v7.0\Bin\Orca.msi (on 32bit systems its: \Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v7.0\Bin\orca.msi)

Good Luck!

Koen.


Recky
ICE27 ERROR Unknown action: 'MsiConfigureServices'

There is an ICE27 Error for MSI logo certification like below:

ICE27 ERROR Unknown action: 'MsiConfigureServices' of InstallExecuteSequence table. Not a standard action and not found in CustomAction or Dialog tables

It seems that the latest version Orca doesn't handle the new standard action MsiConfigureServices added for MSI 5.0.

MicroSoft,  Would you please have some team to fix it when releasing new versions of MSI?


FLUID
InstEd is a free Orca alternative with added functionality
<removed due to low quality and community guideline violations>

JohnWalker2010
Windows Installer 4.5 Software Development Kit is Free; Includes Orca and Other Tools
There is a free alternative to InstEd available at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=6A35AC14-2626-4846-BB51-DDCE49D6FFB6&displaylang=en

It's the Windows Installer 4.5 Software Development Kit, and includes Orca.exe as well as other tools to work with msi files.