Opening ALT Files

The ALT file type is primarily associated with Age of Empires II.

ALT	File extension: ALT
	File type:	data file

What is an ALT file?

ALT files mostly belong to Age of Empires II. ALT files are not tied to a single format. They can serve different roles depending on the creator.

Game Save File: In one case, an ALT file acts as an alternative save file for games such as Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion. It holds game progress data and is opened within the game itself.

Compressed Executable: Other ALT files use an EXE format that has been compressed (often via tools like PKLITE). Such files are meant to run on Windows and may contain installation programs.

Camera Metadata: A third use sees ALT files storing Canon camera metadata in a JFIF format. This variant acts as a JPEG image alternative and is managed by Canon Digital Camera Software. More help is available at Canon Support.

FilExt.com tip: The extension ALT is a label chosen by developers to indicate an alternative or backup file and does not conform to one universal standard. Identifying which use applies requires checking the file's origin and properties.

How to open ALT files

You need a suitable software like Age of Empires II to open an ALT 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 ALT file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application. You can also display a ALT file directly in the browser:. Just drag the file onto this browser window and drop it.

Online ALT Text Viewer

Choose your .alt file to analyze

or drag and drop it here

Online File Viewer

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ALT file format:

To find out what program is needed to open ALT files, you need to determine the file format. Each file format has a unique extension and almost always a unique signature. For example, Microsoft Word documents have the extension .docx and the signature (usually the first 3 characters in this file) PK. However, different programs can use the same file extension. Furthermore, a file extension can be renamed incorrectly and double-clicking on it will then display an error when it is opened. So a detailed analysis of a file is vital in order to determine the format and the associated program. Below you will find our evaluation of the ALT files:

As a file extension, ALT isn't very common and includes very many different file formats. The two most popular formats are as follows:

• 10% of all ALT files are based on the popular EXE file format. EXE is the abbreviation for executable and is the standard executable file format on Windows. The format can be identified by the letters "MZ" at the beginning. Executable files can also be used to distribute viruses and other types of malicious software (malware). If you open these files in a text editor, you will see only illegible characters. The files are on average 300 KB in size and range from 230 KB to 1 MB.
• 10% of all ALT files start with the bytes ùîcë crucial for this file format. If you open these files in a text editor, you will see only illegible characters. ALT files are between 22 KB and 87 KB in size. A usual file name is savedgames.alt.

All other ALT files (80%) have different formats, often e.g. JSON, JFIF, ZIP, HNE and ALERT. These files sometimes refer to house, empty, release, trouble or sphinx. Drag & drop your file here to see the file format and a preview of your ALT file!