Opening INI files

Did your computer fail to open an INI file? We explain what INI files are and recommend software that we know can open or convert your INI files.

What is an INI file?

These INI files are settings and options files that are normally found in Windows computers, and this file format was developed by Microsoft for the Windows OS. Many applications and third party tools that run in the Windows OS create INI files to store program-specific data.The data stored in these INI files may include certain parameters, specific file and directory locations that are used by associated programs. Application-specific options that were saved by default upon the installation of the program, or chosen by the user during manual configuration of the application, may also be stored in these .ini files.Upon start-up, many Windows applications and third party programs primarily access the data stored in associated INI files. Since an INI file is a plain text file, these .ini files can be opened using a text editing application like Notepad. It's best to leave these INI files alone, in order for the Windows applications and third party programs that are associated with the INI file to continue functioning properly.