SO File

What are SO files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a SO file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your SO files.

What is a SO file?

Files that contain the .so file extension are most commonly used for shared library files. Programs written in the C and C++ language load a shared library when they are launched on a user's hard drive.

The SO files that are used by the computer applications contain shared program logic and other functions that are used to load common files into the library. This allows more than one program to use the same code base, even if they are running on different processes.

The SO files are commonly used on Unix operating systems. The files are similar to the DLL files that are used by Windows operating systems.

How to open SO files

Important: Different programs may use files with the SO file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your SO file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested four different SO openers which you will find listed below.

Last updated: November 10, 2022

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of SO files. Remember, different programs may use SO files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

Help us help others

File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about SO file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.