What Is an ESD File?

This article describes three formats that use ESD files, including how to open each kind and what your options are for converting your file to a different file format.

What Is an ESD File?

A file with the ESD file extension is a file downloaded using Microsoft's Electronic Software Download application, so the file itself is called a Windows Electronic Software Download file. It stores an encrypted Windows Imaging Format (.WIM) file.

You might see this file when upgrading the Windows operating system. This is often the case when downloading a file from Microsoft's website to install something like Windows 11.

Other ESD files may instead be completely unrelated and stand for an ExpertScan survey document file—this kind is used with the Expert Scan software to store surveys, forms, and/or reports. Still others might be casebook files made with Easy Street Draw.

How to Open an ESD File

ESD files from Microsoft aren't meant to be opened manually (unless you're converting them, like described below). Instead, Windows uses them internally during the update process.

They're often stored along with WIM (Windows Imaging Format) files in the user's \AppData\Local\Microsoft\ folder, under the \WebSetup\Download\ subfolder.

Survey document files can be opened with Expert Scan, a program by AutoData.

The crash diagramming tool Easy Street Draw is used to open those kinds of ESD files.

How to Convert an ESD File

Wim Converter is a free tool that converts Microsoft ESD files to WIM or SWM (a split WIM file). The free NTLite program can save one to WIM as well.

ESD Decrypter can be used to convert an ESD to ISO.

If you're ultimately after a way to boot to an ESD file, then follow the directions above to convert the file to ISO, and then read How to burn an ISO file to a USB drive or How to burn an ISO file to a DVD. You'll also need to change the boot order in BIOS so that your computer will boot to the disc or flash drive.

Survey documents can be exported to PDF using the Expert Scan software mentioned above.

Still Can't Open It?

If none of the programs mentioned above are helping you open your file, there's a good chance that you're not really dealing with an ESD file, which might be the case if you've misread the file extension.

For example, EDS files appear to be related in some way, but since the file extensions are actually different, it's a good indication that the formats are different, too, meaning that they require different programs in order to work.

If you find that the suffix on your file doesn't read ".ESD," research the file extension it does have to learn more about the programs responsible for opening or converting it.