Opening INF Files

The INF file type is primarily associated with Windows.

INF	File extension: INF
	File type:	setup information file

What is an INF file?

INF files mostly belong to Windows by Microsoft. INF is the file extension associated with a setup information file. INF files store configuration information about the installation of a software, a driver, or an update. They define what files are installed and may also specify the directories where the files are located or are to be installed. INF files are plain text files and can be opened in a text editor. They are commonly used by the Windows operating system for device driver installation and are included in driver packages. They are also used by the AutoRun and AutoPlay components of Windows that allow a CD-ROM to automatically launch a program. The file on the CD-ROM is named autorun.INF, and it must be located in the root directory of the volume in order to be discovered by the AutoRun component. The INI file is related to INF format and is used to initialize program settings in Windows. The INX format is also related to INF. INX files can be used to create INF files.

How to open INF files

You need a suitable software like Windows to open an INF file. Without proper software you will receive a Windows message "How do you want to open this file?" or "Windows cannot open this file" or a similar Mac/iPhone/Android alert. If you cannot open your INF file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application. You can also display a INF file directly in the browser:. Just drag the file onto this browser window and drop it.

Online INF Text Viewer

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Programs that open and convert INF files:

Windows by Microsoft
See the previous paragraphs to learn more about the main application. INF files are often referred to as Windows settings because this type of file is primarily created or used by this software.
Blue Wave (information file) by Fred Rappuhn and George Hatchew
Blue Wave is an old and discontinued file-based offline mail reader developed by Fred Rappuhn and George Hatchew for bulletin board system users. It provided downloading mails and messages, reading and editing offline, and uploading any replies. The INF file was the source of information from the host bulletin board system. This file format is classified as Data. Related links: Article, Bulletin Board System Files, Blue Wave on Wikipedia
Creo Elements (temporary information data file) by PTC
Creo Elements, previously known as Pro/Engineer, is an integrated 3D CAD/CAM/CAE software developed by PTC (Parametric Technology Corporation) for mechanical engineering, design, and manufacturing. The INF file is a temporary information data file. This file format is classified as Data. Related links: Community, Guide, Creo Elements on Wikipedia
OS/2 (hypertext help system data file) by IBM
OS/2 is a series of computer operating systems developed by IBM. The INF file is a hypertext help system data file. The INF files on OS/2 are the help files and documentation books - the viewable files of the IPF (Information Presentation Facility). This file format is classified as Data. Related links: OS/2 INF Files Wiki, Forum, OS/2 on Wikipedia
Type Manager (font information file) by Adobe
Type Manager is a discontinued software component developed by Adobe for viewing and printing Adobe PostScript fonts. This software component automatically generates screen font bitmaps from the PostScript outlines in Type 1 format. The INF file is a font information file. This file format is classified as Settings. Related links: Data Sheet, Type Manager Fandom, PostScript fonts

INF file format:

Why is it important to know the file format? This is the only way to find out which program to use to open the file. The file format can be deduced from the file extension and the signature. If the file extension does not match the file format, double-clicking on the file will cause an error upon opening. Exact knowledge of the format is therefore important in order to solve problems occurring in files. Below you will find our evaluation of the INF files:

INF is a very widely used file extension. The file type is used by a few programs, each with its own file format. The file formats most commonly found in INF files are:

55% of all INF files are AutoRun Info files, which are using the popular config file format. A configuration file is used by computer software to store settings. It consists of a text-based content with a structure and syntax comprising key–value pairs for properties, and sections that organize the properties. The contents of these files are easily readable with a text editor. A typical file size is 56 bytes. The file type was developed 20 years ago and is still in use today. The following keywords are characteristic: [autorun], open and icon. The file name Autorun.inf is typical for these files.
15% of all INF files are based on the well-known config file format. They consist of unreadable binary data. A typical file size is 7 KB. The files contain the following words: [Version] and Copyright. Examples of file names are Autorun.inf or GptTmpl.inf. Files like these have the following tags: tmpl, mapisvc and rtle.

The remaining 30% of all INF files are different files with different signatures, the following 6 formats can be found: OS/2 Information Presentation Facility, UTF-8 and WTR. Often described as android, winusb, oemsetup, usbaapl, driver, server or auto. Drag & drop your file here to see the file format and a preview of your INF file!

Technical Data for INF File Extension

File classification:

Settings

Related files:

exe, dicomdir, sys, pnf, cat, ini, exec, dll, ms_, pol, info, bnf, zip, imf, patch, txt, pro, i11, bootmgr, 1-1, etl, wma, prx

Mime type:

application/inf, application/octet-stream, application/x-setupscript

The following listing is compiled from the database produced by the 'Associate This!' program, selected data from the main FILExt database and file extension information submitted by users.

ProgramID: Hackman.INIEditor
EXEFile: notepad.exe %1

ProgramID: inffile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Bred2r\Bred2r.exe %1

ProgramID: inffile
EXEFile: %SystemRoot%\System32\NOTEPAD.EXE %1

ProgramID: inffile
EXEFile: Y:\Object Desktop\Object Edit\oe.exe %1

ProgramID: inffile
EXEFile: %SystemRoot%\system32\dllcache\notepad.exe %1

ProgramID: inifile
EXEFile: %SystemRoot%\System32\NOTEPAD.EXE %1

ProgramID: inf.File
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\DriverMAGIC Pro\DriverMAGIC_Pro.exe %1

ProgramID: inffile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Bred3\Bred3_2k.exe %1

ProgramID: inffile
EXEFile: %SystemRoot%\system32\NOTEPAD2.EXE

ProgramID: inffile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Scintilla Text Editor\SciTE.exe

ProgramID: inffile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\_PCUtils\Apps\EmEditor\EmEditor.exe

ProgramID: inffile
EXEFile: %SystemRoot%\SysWow64\NOTEPAD.EXE

Show all 12 listings To Top

an inf setup information file is a special file format by Microsoft and should only be edited and saved with the appropriate software.

How to solve problems with INF files

Associate the INF file extension with the correct application.
Update your software that should actually open setup information files. Because only the current version supports the latest INF file format. Search, therefore, e.g. on the Microsoft manufacturer website after an available Windows update.
To make sure that your INF file is not corrupted or virus-infected, get the file again and scan it with Google's virustotal.com.
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