Intune Deployment Guide

How to prepare .intunewin packages

Overview

An .intunewin package is the upload format Intune uses for Win32 app deployment. The package is created with the Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool, also known as IntuneWinAppUtil.exe.

This guide follows the same packaging flow used in the app deployment guides: prepare D:\Intune\Input, generate the package into D:\Intune\Output, and upload the resulting .intunewin file to Intune.

What the .intunewin package contains

The Content Prep Tool takes a source folder, a setup file, and an output folder. It compresses the source folder into a single package that Intune can upload and deliver to devices.

The source folder contains the installer and all supporting files
The setup file is the main EXE, MSI, CMD, or PowerShell entry point
The output folder receives the generated .intunewin package

After packaging, continue with install and uninstall commands and detection rules.

Prepare the working folders

Use a simple workspace so the package can be rebuilt consistently. Keep the Content Prep Tool outside the source folder, because everything inside Input is included in the package.

Before packaging

D:\Intune

Input

install.cmd

setup.exe

uninstall.cmd

Output

empty

Tools

IntuneWinAppUtil.exe

Run the Content Prep Tool

Run the tool with explicit parameters so the packaging command can be repeated. Use -c for the source folder, -s for the setup file, -o for the output folder, and -q for quiet mode.

Command Prompt

C:\Users\Admin>D:\Intune\Tools\IntuneWinAppUtil.exe ^
More?   -c D:\Intune\Input ^
More?   -s install.cmd ^
More?   -o D:\Intune\Output ^
More?   -q

INFO   Validating source folder...
INFO   Validating setup file: install.cmd
INFO   Creating encrypted package...
INFO   Package written to D:\Intune\Output\install.intunewin

Output: D:\Intune\Output\install.intunewin

Check the output folder

After the command finishes, the generated package should be available in the D:\Intune\Output folder. Keep the output separate from the input folder so old packages are not included in a future build.

After packaging

D:\Intune

Input

install.cmd

setup.exe

uninstall.cmd

Output

install.intunewin

Tools

IntuneWinAppUtil.exe

Choose the correct setup file

The setup file is the entry point recorded during packaging. It should match how you want to start the install process after the package is uploaded.

Scenario	Setup file to package	Example command later in Intune
Simple EXE installer	`setup.exe`	`setup.exe /quiet /norestart`
MSI installer	`app.msi`	`msiexec /i app.msi /qn`
CMD wrapper	`install.cmd`	`cmd.exe /c install.cmd`
PowerShell workflow	`install.ps1`	`powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\install.ps1`

Upload the package to Intune

When creating the Win32 app, upload the generated .intunewin file in the App package file step. App information, Program settings, requirements, detection rules, and assignments are configured after the package is uploaded.

App package file□ ×

Select the app package file created by the Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool.

* App package file i

install.intunewin

Package type

Windows app (Win32)

Upload state

Ready

Packaging checklist

Use D:\Intune\Input for source files and D:\Intune\Output for generated packages
Keep IntuneWinAppUtil.exe outside the source folder
Include every required installer, script, transform, license, and config file in the source folder
Use a predictable setup file such as install.cmd when the install process needs multiple steps
Use relative paths for supporting files inside the package
Test the install and uninstall command before uploading the package
Do not rebuild from a folder that already contains old output files

Common packaging mistakes

Issue	What to check
Package includes unnecessary files	Keep the tool, old output packages, screenshots, and test logs outside the source folder.
Install command cannot find files	Place supporting files inside the source folder and reference them by relative path.
Output package is rebuilt incorrectly	Start from a clean source folder for each packaging attempt.
Upload succeeds but install fails	Validate the command, silent switches, install context, and detection rule separately.
MSI metadata is not what you expected	Confirm the correct MSI is selected as the setup file and not a wrapper from another folder.
Large package takes too long to upload	Remove unused installers and keep only the files required for deployment.

Best practices

Create one clean source folder per app version
Use simple folder names without special characters
Document the exact source folder, setup file, and output file used
Package scripts and supporting files together instead of relying on network paths
Keep packaging separate from deployment testing so failures are easier to isolate

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