NFO File

What are NFO files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a NFO 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 NFO files.

What is a NFO file?

NFO files have multiple uses, and Archive Info is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

Archive Info File

NFO files are text files that hold information about an application that has been downloaded from the Internet.

Often pirated software applications will have NFO files attached to them, although the presence of an NFO file is not clear evidence of a program being a pirated product.

NFO files are written in ASCII text format. The file contains text explaining how to use the software, software release notes, and information about the group that cracked and distributed the program.

How to open NFO files

We have identified four NFO openers that are compatible with this specific type of NFO file.

Programs that open Archive Info files

Last updated: August 10, 2026

All known file formats using extension .NFO

While Archive Info File is a popular type of NFO-file, we know of 6 different uses of the .NFO file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

Folio Informational Database

We know that one NFO format is Folio Informational Database. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested ten different NFO openers which you will find listed below.

Folio Views Infobase

Folio Views Infobase files are binary database files created by the Folio Views software (originally by Folio Corporation). They store collections of text, graphics, hyperlinks and media in a fully indexed, compressed form, enabling fast search and retrieval across large volumes of content. Users open and browse them via Folio Views; editing, tagging, and adding annotations or links is possible within that program.

These .NFO files are generated wholly by Folio Views (sometimes using Folio Builder); they function as self-contained information bases. Such files typically can be viewed, searched, and navigated through their hierarchical table of contents. Shadow files may be used alongside them to allow per-user customizations while keeping the original .NFO unchanged.

Internally the format uses identifiable byte signatures: files begin with the ASCII string "(c)FolioCorporation1991-" at offset 0, and contain the phrases "ALL RIGHTS RESERVED." and "INFOBASE." These indicate its provenance and format type.

NFO opener for Windows

We have identified 2 NFO openers that are compatible with this specific type of NFO file.

Kodi Info File

Kodi Info files are used by the Kodi media player to store metadata about movies, TV shows, episodes, artists, albums, and music videos in an XML format saved as plain text. These files let Kodi populate or supplement its media library using information stored locally, which is particularly useful for content without good online sources - such as home videos or local sports footage.

These .nfo files are created by Kodi itself (for example via its Import & Export feature), or manually by users, or by third-party media managers. Kodi reads them first when importing or rescanning the library. If no relevant .nfo file exists, Kodi either scrapes metadata from configured online sources (if enabled) or uses local info only.

The files are always UTF-8 encoded and use XML tags wrapped between a top-level tag identifying the media type, such as <movie> … </movie>, <tvshow>, <episodedetails>, <album>, <artist>, or <musicvideo>. Within that, tags may include <title>, <originaltitle>, <plot>, <fileinfo> (with details like video codec, width, height, audio streams, subtitles), <ratings>, <resume> (position, total), <dateadded>, <playcount> and more.

Technically the file begins with the standard XML declaration line <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>. Some key strings found inside typical Kodi NFO files include "ISUSERFAVORITE", "ORIGINALTITLE", "STREAMDETAILS", "FILEINFO", "RESUME" and others that reflect the metadata tags noted above.

Programs that open these NFO files

We have identified one NFO opener that is compatible with this specific type of NFO file.

Microsoft System Information File

We know that one NFO format is Microsoft System Information File. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

SpyBot-Search-and-Destroy Malware Info

We know that one NFO format is SpyBot-Search-and-Destroy Malware Info. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

Various apps that use files with this extension

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

File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about NFO file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.