AFI File

What are AFI files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening an AFI 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 AFI files.

What is an AFI file?

An .AFI file is an Advanced Floppy Image file.

Advanced Floppy Image is a disk image format designed for floppy disk emulation and preservation of raw magnetic track data including timing variations and disk defects like flakey bits. These files are created by the HxC Floppy Emulator software, and they are intended to capture not just the logical sectors but the physical characteristics of a floppy disk so that an emulator or emulator device can reproduce the behavior of the original disk.

These files are usually produced by dumping a floppy disk with tools that support low-level capture, especially with HxC software (the "Exporter" in HxC HeadQuarters). Once created, the .AFI file can be used with floppy emulators to emulate the original disk - including its exact track layouts, variable bitrates, weak/flakey bits, and physical flux transitions. Because the .AFI format stores much more detail than a simple sector image, it is useful when copying protected disks or when disc authenticity matters.

Technical details include that .AFI files start with the ASCII signature AFI_FLOPPY_IMG at the very beginning of the file and contain the keyword TRACKLIST beginning at byte offset 32. This identifies the file as an Advanced Floppy Image and provides track metadata.

How to open AFI files

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

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

Last updated: August 17, 2026

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of AFI files. Remember, different programs may use AFI 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 AFI file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.