Opening an RTA File

The RTA file type is primarily associated with iA Writer.

RTA	File extension: RTA
	File type:	data file

What is an RTA file?

RTA files mostly belong to iA Writer. When you see a file with the RTA extension, its meaning depends on the context in which it was created.
One common use is as a Rich Text Editor Document produced by iA Writer. In this case the file uses a plist structure to store formatted text. You can open it with iA Writer.
Other RTA files serve very different purposes. For example:

Maritime Navigation: These files hold data for a ship voyage plan and work as a route file for navigation systems.

Game Resource: Some RTA files contain animation data or other resources. They may be used by tools described as a Real-Time Analyzer or be associated with game resources like those for Resident Evil or Grand Theft Auto.

Embedded Systems: In industrial contexts, a RTA file can be an assembler output or a Real-Time Application Protocol file. Such files are handled by tools like Renesas Flash Programmer and RealView Debugger (Renesas).

RTOS Loader: There are also RTA files that serve as loader programs for real-time operating systems such as RTOS-32.

FilExt.com note: Check the file’s header or its source application to decide which type of RTA file you have.

How to open RTA files

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

Online RTA Text Viewer

Choose your .rta file to analyze

or drag and drop it here

Online File Viewer

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RTA file format:

To find out what program is needed to open RTA files, you need to determine the file format. The initial characters of a file are called signature, sometimes also referred to as "magic bytes". The signature can be used to infer the file format. If the file extension does not match the file format, double-clicking on the file will cause an error upon opening. If there are problems opening a file, you must first determine the file format used. Our analysis of the RTA files produces the following result:

The RTA file extension is rather rarely used and covers different formats for different programs. The two most popular formats are as follows:

• 35% of all RTA files internally utilize the plist file format. A property list file is a structured text file that contains user's settings or macOS apps configuration. These files are binary files, so they do not contain text, but only cryptic characters. The file size is in the range of 1 KB to 18 KB. The file type is relatively new. The following keywords are characteristic: bplist00, Troot, U$null, class, T$topX$objectsX$versionY$archiver and archiverT. Such RTA files store data about chapter and document.
• 9% of all RTA files start with the magic bytes 80 A0 01 00, which are always the first bytes of this file format. The content consists of illegible binary data, which can only be read and interpreted by the associated programs. A typical file size is 100 KB.

All other RTA files (56%) have no consistent format, the following 9 formats exist: EXE, ZIP, fPj and Time. Files like these are sometimes linked to coefrta, crowd, loader, flag or girl. You can get all the details of your RTA file by dragging it onto this page or by clicking the button "Choose your .rta file to analyze" above.