What is Orca?
Orca.exe is an msi database editor included with the Windows SDK. This powerful tool allows you to create and edit installer packages, merge modules, and transform files. Its functionality is crucial for customizing installer packages deployed via GPOs in Active Directory.
How Do I Download And Install Orca?
Orca.exe is indispensible to many enterprise administrators, but can be tough to find. There is no (official) direct download link available for Orca.exe. Instead, you must obtain the latest version of the Windows SDK to get it. If you've already installed the Windows SDK on your machine, or if you've installed a program that it is bundled with (such as Visual Studio), then you should already have the Orca.msi installer file on your local box. Look for it in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\[Version]\bin, or do a quick search of your computer for Orca.msi. If you still need to acquire the installer, you may download the latest Windows SDK for free from the Microsoft Download Site. I recommend downloading the ISO version of the SDK so that you do not have to install the entire thing just to get Orca. Once you have the ISO copy of the SDK appropriate for your chipset, follow these steps to extract and install Orca:
- Mount the .iso using virtual drive software such as Virtual Clone Drive
- Navigate to Setup\WinSDKTools, and open cab1.cab
- Locate and extract WinSDK_Orca_Msi... to whatever local folder you'd like
- Add ".msi" to the end of the file name
- Use the resulting .msi file to install Orca
Once it is installed, you will see a new "Edit with Orca" context menu option when right-clicking msi files.
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