E01 File - opening and understanding
Did your computer fail to open an E01 file? We explain what they are used for and recommend software that we know can open or otherwise handle your .E01 files.
What is an E01 file?
An .E01 file is an Expert Witness compression Format disk image file. These E01 files are disk image files created from a suspect's hard drive or external storage media. These files are crucial for the digital forensic investigation process. These E01 files are used to create disk images of suspected evidence to keep artifact integrity and reduce the chances of evidence tempering.
How to open E01 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 E01 for different purposes.
While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested 5 different E01 openers which you will find listed below.
Other file formats using extension .E01
While Expert Witness compression Format disk image is a popular type of E01-file, we know of 2 different uses of the .E01 extension.
The E01 file extension indicates to your device which app can open the file. However, different apps may use the same file extension for different types of data. So an E01 opener may not be able to open all kinds of E01 files. In this case, look through both formats to make sure you find the best suited E01 viewer.
File Maven Encrypted
Through our analysis of E01 files, we know that one use of the format is File Maven Encrypted. We have not yet described in detail what these files contain and what they are used for, but our team is working tiredlessly through thousands of file formats. We'd love hearing from you if you have information about the format.
While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested 5 different E01 openers which you will find listed below.
Various viewers for this file format
These apps are known to open certain types of E01 files. Remember, different programs may use E01 files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.
 | IsoBuster | User submitted |
 | Embird | User submitted |
 | EnCase | User submitted |
 | P2 eXplorer | User submitted |
| SysTools Viewer | User submitted |
Not sure exactly what type of file you are trying to open? Try our new File Analyzer. It is a free tool that can identify more than 11,000 different kinds of files - most likely yours too! It will help you find software that can handle your specific type of file. Download File Analyzer here.