PowerShell 7.7 Will Drop MSI Installer as Microsoft Pushes MSIX for Future Releases

Microsoft is changing how PowerShell is installed on Windows, starting with upcoming preview builds. Starting with PowerShell 7.7-preview.1, Microsoft will make MSIX the primary installation format on Windows (via Neowin). In other words, it means that new releases will no longer include an MSI installer, effectively ending its role for future versions.

That being said, support for MSI is not disappearing overnight, as existing releases like PowerShell 7.6 will continue to offer MSI packages. Microsoft has further confirmed that upcoming versions, including PowerShell 7.7 GA and newer, will not ship with MSI at all.

The reasoning for this change centers on consistency and maintainability. MSIX uses a more predictable, declarative installation model, which avoids the scripts and custom actions often linked to MSI. It also supports built-in update mechanisms, including smaller differential updates rather than full reinstalls.

The company also adds that MSI does not fully meet modern accessibility standards, especially in screen reader scenarios. MSIX is being positioned as a more compliant and future-ready alternative. Just to be clear, MSIX currently lacks support for some scenarios that MSI handled, including remoting and execution through system-level services like Task Scheduler.

Speaking of which, Microsoft says it is actively working to close these gaps. Moreover, the focus for now is on improving enterprise deployment support, which expands system-level compatibility and offer clearer guidance for large-scale environments. Talking of recent changes, Microsoft also replaced Dev and Canary in favor of a new Experimental channel.