CPIO File

What are CPIO files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a CPIO file or just wondering what they contain? We explain what these files are used for and show you software that we know can open or otherwise handle your 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

We have identified three CPIO openers that are compatible with this specific type of CPIO file.

Programs that open CPIO Archive files

Last updated: February 24, 2023

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