Find the file type you are looking for quickly in the INDEX
Note: This list is mainly intended for use on Macintosh computers and PC's running MS-Windows. This is only a partial list of what really is out there but for these common platforms, the majority of the file types encountered on-line can handled with the tools herein. For an additional collection of related information focused on PC users check out Multimedia File Formats on The Internet by Allison Zhang, and the Cross-Platform Page by Eric Bennett. For compression info for all platforms check the comp.compression FAQ (126Kb).
File Suffix | Format Description & Type | How to deal with it |
---|---|---|
.au | .au is the most common sound format found on the web.
|
Use Sound Player to play it |
Use Waveform Hold and Modify to play it | ||
Use Waveform Hold and Modify to play it | ||
.aiff | .aiff is also a semi-common sound format.
|
Use Sound Player to play it |
Use Waveform Hold and Modify to play it | ||
Use Waveform Hold and Modify to play it | ||
.bin | Macbinary II Encoded File. Make sure to download as MacBinary or Binary. | Use Stuffit Expander to turn back into a usable Macintosh file if it isn't already. |
N/A | ||
N/A | ||
.doc | May be a DOS/Windows program or a DOS/Windows Self Extracting
Archive
|
Use MS-Word |
Use WordView to quickly display MS-Word documents | ||
Use WordView to quickly display MS-Word documents | ||
.exe | May be a DOS/Windows program or a DOS/Windows Self Extracting
Archive
|
N/A |
Download and launch it in its own temporary directory, it may spawn a number of files and directories. Self Extracting | ||
Download and launch it in its own temporary directory, it may spawn a number of files and directories. Self Extracting | ||
.gif | GIF (Graphical Interchange Format), though not the most economical, is the most common graphics format found on the Internet. | Use GIFConverter or JPEG View |
Use Lview Pro to view these graphics | ||
Use PolyView to view these graphics | ||
.gz | .gz is the Gnu version of zip. It is a compression method
developed for use on UNIX systems.
|
Use macgzip to view and extract archives. |
Use WinZIP to view and extract archives. | ||
Use WinZIP to view and extract archives. | ||
.html
.htm |
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), the code the web is written in. Plain text file. | Use Netscape for MacIntosh to view the file |
Use Netscape for Windows 3.1x to view the file | ||
Use Netscape for Windows95 and Windows NT to view the file | ||
.hqx | BinHex 4.0 - Encodes a Macintosh file into 7-bit text so it can be safely transfered. Most Mac files appear in .hqx | Use Stuffit Expander |
Use BinHex13 in a DOS window to un-binhex it | ||
Use BinHex13 in a DOS window to un-binhex it | ||
.image | Macintosh Disk Image, most commonly found on Apple's FTP
sites.
|
Use Shrink Wrap to mount the disk image, and deal with it like you would a floppy |
N/A | ||
N/A | ||
.jpg
.jpeg .jfif |
JPEG/JFIF, a 24 bit graphic format
|
Use JPEG View |
Use Lview Pro to view these graphics | ||
Use PolyView to view these graphics | ||
.mpg
.mpeg |
MPEG, the standard movie platform for the 'net.
|
Use sparkle to play them, or to convert them to QuickTime. |
Use VMPEG with win32s to play MPEGs | ||
Use VMPEG or Ladybug to play MPEGs | ||
.mov
.qt .movie .moov |
QuickTime Movie, Apple Macintosh native movie platform
|
Use Sparkle, FastPlayer, MoviePlayer, SimpleText, MicrosoftWord...and many others. If the movie appears totaly white, you may need to use the Apple Quicktime VR Player to see them. |
Use QuickTime for Windows | ||
Use QuickTime for Windows | ||
Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format, download as Binary | Use Adobe Acrobat Reader or Adobe Acrobat | |
Use Adobe Acrobat Reader or Adobe Acrobat | ||
Use Adobe Acrobat Reader or Adobe Acrobat | ||
.ps | Postscript file. Plain text file, but not really human-readable. | Send to a Postscipt printer with Laserwriter Font Utility or view it onscreen using Ghostscript |
View it onscreen using Ghostscript | ||
View it onscreen using Ghostscript | ||
.sit | Stuffit Archive - Binary | Download as MacBinary, and use Stuffit Expander |
Use UnSit in a DOS window | ||
Use UnSit in a DOS window | ||
.sea | Macintosh Self Extracting Archive | Download as MacBinary, and launch it. Self Extracting |
N/A | ||
N/A | ||
.tar | UNIX tar program takes seperate files and turns them into
one file. Often also compressed. Extensions such .tar.Z, .tar.gz and .tgz
(latter two are equivalent) requires decompression first, then un-tar.
Some UNIX ftp servers will un-tar a file if you request it without the
".tar" extention.
|
Download and use Tar |
Use WinZIP to view and extract archives. | ||
Use WinZIP to view and extract archives. | ||
.tiff
.tif |
TIFF is a very large high quality image format.
|
Use JPEGView |
Use Lview Pro to view these graphics | ||
Use PolyView to view these graphics | ||
.txt | A plain boring old Text File | Use Microsoft Word, Simple Text, BBEdit, whatever! |
Use the 16 bit version of Programmer's File Editor | ||
Use the 32 bit version of Programmer's File Editor | ||
.uu
.uue |
A uuencoded file. Typically this is done on a UNIX command
line:
Then, after running: uudecode EncodedFile.uu One gets a file generated named: SecondFileName Using .uu as the extension is not required but is considered politely explanatory for what type of file it is. Increasing numbers of desktop mail and newsreading programs will handle this type of encoding on the fly. |
Use UU Undo to uudecode it |
Use WinCode to uudecode it | ||
Use ESS-Code to uudecode it | ||
.wav | Windows Wave format sound file
|
You can use SoundApp to play .wav files |
Use Waveform Hold and Modify to play it | ||
Use Waveform Hold and Modify to play it | ||
.Z | Unix Compressed File
|
If you are downloading via ftp most ftp servers will uncompress for you if you drop the ".Z". Otherwise use Stuffit Expander w/EE. |
Use WinZIP to view and extract archives. | ||
Use WinZIP to view and extract archives. | ||
.zip | pkzip, a common DOS/Windows compression format
|
Use ZipIt, Stuffit Expander w/ EE, or MacUnZip |
Use WinZIP to view and extract archives. | ||
Use WinZIP to view and extract archives. |
Where to get the Software packages
A | .arj .au .aiff Acrobat |
---|---|
B | .bin BinHex13 |
C | |
D | .doc |
E | .exe ESS-Code |
F | |
G | .gz GhostScript |
H | .htm .html .hqx |
I | .image |
J | .jpg .jpeg .jfif JPEGView |
K | |
L | Laser Font Utility Ladybug Lview Pro |
M | .mpg .mpeg .mov .movie |
N | Netscape |
O | |
P | .pdf .ps PolyView Programmer's File Editor |
Q | .qt QuickTime QuickTime VR |
R | |
S | .sea .sit Shrinkwrap Sound Player SoundApp Sparkle Stuffit Expander |
T | .tar .tgz .tif .tiff .txt TAR |
U | .uu UNSIT UU Undo |
V | VMPEG |
W | .wav WHAM WinCode WinZip WordView |
X | |
Y | |
Z | .Z .zip ZipIt |