CPIO File - opening and understanding
Did your computer fail to open a CPIO file? We explain what they are used for and recommend software that we know can open or otherwise handle your .CPIO files.
What is a CPIO file?
A .CPIO file is a CPIO Archive file. Files with file extension .cpio are archive files created on a Unix system. An archive file is basically a batch of files bundled into a single file for easier storage and distribution. An "extraction" tool is needed to restore the files to their original state.
CPIO files are usually created by the Unix command-line tool of the same name: cpio. However, the archives can be extracted by several other tools, also on non-Unix computers.
How to open CPIO files
You will need a program compatible with the specific file you are trying to open, as different programs may use files with file extension CPIO for different purposes. We have identified 3 CPIO openers for Windows that is compatible with this specific type of CPIO file.
Programs that open these files
 | BitZipper | Verified |
 | PowerArchiver | Verified |
 | 7-Zip | Verified |
Suggest another file format using extension CPIO
While we know of one file format using the .CPIO file extension, there may be more. It is widespread that different programs use files with the same file extension for very different types of data. Please let us know if you are aware of a different kind of .CPIO file.
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