CPL File

What are CPL files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a CPL 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 CPL files.

What is a CPL file?

CPL files have multiple uses, and Asymetrix Compel Presentation is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

Asymetrix Compel Presentation

Asymetrix Compel Presentation files are slide-based multimedia presentation files created by Compel version 2.0, a presentation software developed by Asymetrix Learning Systems Corporation. They store a sequence of slides that may include text, graphics, images, sounds, animations, and interactive elements, used to design educational or on-screen presentations.

These files are authored (written) by Compel v2.0 and are rendered (viewed or delivered) using the same software. Compel was first released in 1993, updated in 1995, and discontinued in 1998. The format supports exporting to a companion format ".art", which appears to share much of the internal structure.

How to open CPL files

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

While we have not verified the app ourselves yet, our users have suggested a single CPL opener which you will find listed below.

Last updated: September 2, 2026

All known file formats using extension .CPL

While Asymetrix Compel Presentation is a popular type of CPL-file, we know of 3 different uses of the .CPL file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

Corel Color Palette

These CPL files contain the color palettes used in Corel Draw, a graphics editor. You can choose between various color models, color mixers, and color palettes. You can create your own color palettes. The palettes you create and the preset palettes are split between two main folders: "My Palettes" and "Palette libraries."

Windows Control Panel Item

A Windows Control Panel Item file is a system module used in Microsoft Windows to provide a dialog interface for configuring system settings. It is implemented as a dynamic-link library or executable that exports a function called CPlApplet; the operating system loads these modules when a corresponding item in the Control Panel is opened.

These files are written by Microsoft or third-party application developers to supply configurable control panels such as Display, Sound, Network, or Regional Settings. When Windows starts the Control Panel or when a user invokes a specific configuration item, it searches for these modules (named with this extension) in the system directory and registered paths, then calls their initialization routines and message handlers to present the settings interface.

Each module exports a function called CPlApplet which responds to several predefined messages: CPL_INIT to perform initialization, CPL_GETCOUNT to report how many items it provides, CPL_INQUIRE or CPL_NEWINQUIRE to provide information like the name and icon, CPL_DBLCLK or CPL_STARTWPARMS when the user activates it, CPL_STOP for cleanup per item, and CPL_EXIT just before the module is unloaded.

Internally these files use the standard Windows Portable Executable (PE) format. Their content typically includes a signature starting with the characters MZ (reflecting the DOS stub in PE files), plus embedded resource sections such as .RSRC where icons, dialog templates, and other data reside. The module must export CPlApplet and accept control messages to integrate with the Control Panel architecture.

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of CPL files. Remember, different programs may use CPL 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

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