How to open a .esd file (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Q: Why can't I open my .esd file?

Usually your computer lacks an app that understands ESD. Install one of the apps listed here, or convert the file to a more common format.

A .esd file is a Windows Electronic Software Download Image. If double-clicking does nothing, your computer simply does not have an app that reads ESD yet. Here is how to fix that on each operating system, using free software wherever possible.

Open a .esd file step by step

Confirm the file really is a .esd. Drop it into the WhatFileType file identifier, which reads its signature without uploading anything.
On Windows, open it with DISM (export/apply) or 7-Zip (recent versions).
On Mac, use wimlib.
On Linux, try wimlib (wimlib-imagex).
Still stuck? Convert the .esd to wim, which opens more widely.

Best apps to open .esd files

Windows

DISM (export/apply)
7-Zip (recent versions)

macOS

wimlib

Linux

wimlib (wimlib-imagex)

Before you open it: Safe. An .esd is a compressed OS image; like any install source, use images from Microsoft rather than repacked downloads of unknown origin.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I open my .esd file?

Almost always because no installed app understands ESD. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads.

How do I convert install.esd to install.wim?

dism /Export-Image /SourceImageFile:install.esd /SourceIndex:1 /DestinationImageFile:install.wim /Compress:max. Pick the index of the edition you need first with /Get-WimInfo.

Why is the .esd so much smaller than a .wim?

Solid LZMS compression: files are compressed together in large blocks. The cost is that the image becomes read-only for mounting and servicing.