BWS File

What are BWS files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a BWS 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 BWS files.

What is a BWS file?

A .BWS file is a Photo Enote (Enot) External Photo Viewer Settings file.

Photo Enote (Enot) External Photo Viewer Settings files store configuration information for the external photo viewer integration used by the Image Enote (Enot) database tool from Acritum Software. They record how Enot should launch or work with a chosen external photo viewer when the user opens photos via Enot. Typical settings include command‐line parameters, placeholders for album paths, identifiers for viewer executable, and layout or interface lines.

These settings files are produced and read by the Enot program. Enot uses them so that when a photo is selected in its database or search engine, it knows what external viewer to invoke, which command‐line options or layout (such as vertical or side parameters) to use, how to refer to album or photo placeholders, and other execution details. The files do not contain image data; they contain plain configuration text describing how to connect Enot with external viewer programs.

In the technical format the files usually start at offset zero with the ASCII header "[PHOTOVIEWERSETTINGS]\r\n". Inside the file there are entries including placeholders like %ALBUM%, fields named VSTUPID, SSTUPID, VEXE, SEXE, VPAR, SPAR, VLINE, SLINE, which encode viewer and settings identifiers, executable paths, parameters for vertical (V) and side (S) configurations.

How to open BWS files

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

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

Last updated: August 25, 2026

Various apps that use files with this extension

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

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