AZZ File

What are AZZ files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening an AZZ 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 AZZ files.

What is an AZZ file?

An .AZZ file is an AZZ Cardfile Card file.

AZZ Cardfile Card files are data files created by the AZZ Cardfile program for storing free-form personal information entries called cards. Each card has a title and a body of content; this format is used when the user wants a simple digital Rolodex to keep addresses, notes, recipes, contact details, and similar data. The .azz file is written by AZZ Cardfile as one of its legacy file types (versions 1 through 4) and underlies features like card listing, filtering by title, rich text, embedded objects, locking/editing cards, and backups.

The .azz files are produced by saving in earlier versions of AZZ Cardfile (before the newer .azzdb version) or when exporting older files; the software edits, reads, and upgrades them in modern versions as needed. Cards are organized inside the file in XML-like tags, with tags indicating card titles, creation times, last-opened times, and content blocks. As of version 1.5 the file is compressed using the public domain ZIP algorithm; version 3.0 and later use a ZIP archive that encloses two internal files - one holding the index (.~i), the other the card contents or heap (.~h). Users wishing to view the content may rename the .azz file to .zip and unzip to inspect these parts.

Technically, .azz files begin with the standard ZIP local file header signature bytes 50 4B 03 04 ("PK" at offset 0). They contain internal component files, which in later versions use the extensions .~i and .~h for index and content respectively. Earlier rich-text files include lines like "LY1DL Another cardfile - RTF" at the start of the uncompressed internal text.

How to open AZZ files

We have identified one AZZ opener that is compatible with this specific type of AZZ file.

Programs that open AZZ Cardfile Card files

Last updated: August 5, 2026

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