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FIELD GUIDE / PRACTICAL STEPS

How to Open an Unknown File Extension

Identify a mystery file safely before choosing software.

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Work through this in order

  1. Keep a copy of the original and inspect the filename extension
  2. Use the signature detector to identify the actual container format
  3. If the format is unknown inspect the first bytes in the hex viewer
  4. Search for a trustworthy native viewer only after identifying the format
  5. Avoid uploading confidential files to random online converters

Use the matching tool

Inspect a local copy with Unknown File Extension Opener. After the check, save or repair files only using trusted software that supports the format.