If you are managing Windows devices with Microsoft Intune, you probably ran into a scenario where you needed to deploy .exe-based applications. While Intune natively supports .msi files and handles them with ease, it doesn’t natively support .exe installers or apps with complex installers.
That’s what the Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool is for. This free utility tool from Microsoft is an important piece of the puzzle for deploying Win32 apps through Intune.
In this article, we’ll cover the use cases for the Win32 Prep Tool and the process of converting the Win32 app into the .intunewin format, and then uploading it to Intune.
After that, we’ll look at how PacKit can be an easier alternative to Win32 Prep Tool.
Download PacKit for free and access IntuneWin Auto-Generator, PSADT Wrapper, and MECM & Intune Upload features instantly – no registration needed.
What Is the Win32 Content Prep Tool?
The Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool is a command-line utility provided by Microsoft that converts your application files into a special format (.intunewin) so Intune can upload, store, and deploy them to devices.
Why Do You Need the Win32 Content Prep Tool?
Intune is designed for modern app deployment, but not all apps are “modern.” Many enterprise applications:
- Use .exe installers
- Require configuration scripts
- Need multiple files to install properly
Since Intune doesn’t support .exe files the same way it supports .msi files, Microsoft created the Win32 Content Prep Tool, so you can convert your Win32 applications into a format that is compatible with Intune.
Once converted, you get a single .intunewin file that you can upload to Intune and deliver to managed devices.
How Does Win32 Content Prep Tool Work?
Step 1: Get Your Files
Place your installer (.exe, .msi, .bat, etc.) and any supporting files into a folder. For example:
C:\Apps\MyApp\
├── MyApp.exe
├── config.xml
└── license.txt
Step 2: Run the Tool
Open the command prompt or PowerShell and go to the tool’s location, and run this line:
IntuneWinAppUtil.exe -c "C:\Apps\MyApp" -s "setup.exe" -o "C:\Apps\Output"Where:
- -c is the source folder (where your app files are)
- -s is the installer file (the main file to execute)
- -o is the output folder (where the packaged file will be saved)
After running the tool, you’ll get a file like MyApp.intunewin. This file contains all your app content, along with encrypted metadata.
And that’s all. You can now upload the .intunewin file to Intune.
PacKit – The GUI-Based Alternative to Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool
What if I told you there is an alternative solution that not only converts your application files into .intunewin format but also uploads them into Intune?
All with just a click of a button.
With PacKit, you can generate .intunewin files and deploy your apps with minimal effort through one-click deployment to MECM and Intune. Download PacKit for free here.
Once you have your application added to your workspace, all you have to do is click the “Upload to Intune” button.
If your installer is an MSI, you can still upload it to Intune as a Win32 app by selecting Win32 from the drop-down list.
