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WimExplorer runs as a local web application on your Windows machine. It requires a small number of dependencies, most of which can be installed automatically on first launch.

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Operating System

WimExplorer supports Windows 7, 10, and 11 (64-bit). It is not supported on macOS or Linux.

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Dependencies

DependencyRequiredAuto-installable
Windows 7, 10, or 11 (x64)YesNo
Node.js 18 or higherYesYes — via winget
7-Zip (7z.exe)YesYes — via winget
Both Node.js and 7-Zip can be installed automatically by the WimExplorer launcher if they are not already present on your system. You will be prompted with options when you run WimExplorer-v1.1.exe for the first time.

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Node.js

Node.js version 18 or higher is required to run the backend server. If it is not installed when you launch WimExplorer, a dialog will appear with three options:
  • Yes — Install automatically via winget (requires internet and administrator permissions)
  • No — Open the Node.js website for manual installation
  • Cancel — Exit without doing anything
After an automatic install, the launcher re-verifies that Node.js is available before continuing.

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7-Zip

7-Zip is required by the WimExplorer UI. If it is not detected on startup, a modal appears and blocks use until you install or configure it. Without 7-Zip, the Size and Date Modified columns in the file table remain blank, and WimExplorer falls back to wimlib-imagex dir for listing (no size or date metadata). See the 7-Zip Setup guide for configuration details, including how to install via winget or point to an existing install.

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Disk Space

WimExplorer’s own footprint is minimal. It uses a temporary directory at recursos/tmp/ to stage files during upload operations. This directory is created automatically and cleaned up after each operation.

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Network

No internet connection is required after setup. WimExplorer runs entirely on localhost:3000. The launcher opens your default browser automatically when the server starts.

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Browser

Any modern browser works — Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or others. The launcher opens your system default browser automatically. You can also navigate to http://localhost:3000 in any browser while the app is running.