How to Open and View NFO Files in XP and Vista

Contributor Icon Contributed by MickeyMouse Date Icon August 17, 2006  
Tag Icon Tagged: Windows

Many users who download program files on the internet find it difficult to open or view NFO files. These are just text files and using them is very easy.


NFO files are really “info” files. These text files frequently contain information regarding the installation or use of downloaded packages. Here is how to open and use these files.

If you click on it without following these directions, you will probably get this error:

---------------------------
System Information
---------------------------
System Information cannot open this NFO file. It might be corrupted or an unrecognized version.

You can download many programs to view these text files; however, why not just use notepad to view them?

1. Browse to the NFO file on your computer

2. Right-click on the file and click Open With

(If you are given several options in the menu here, select Choose Program…)

3. Select Notepad under Other Programs

(In Vista you might need to actually click the Other Programs drop down arrow on the right of the Open With window)

4. Make sure that Always use the selected program to open this kind of file is checked.

5. Click OK

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  • Nice info(nfo)...lolz
  • Celeste
    Very helpful - been confused for months.

    Thanks!
  • Kirk
    I can open the note pad but what do I do from here? There is no information only symbols etc??
  • Rod
    In Vista, I don't have any problem opening NFO files that accompany downloads however, all they ever contain is my own PC system information.
  • Andrew
    Thats not what is in the nfo tho, thats what comes up when it doesn't open peroperly. open it with notepad like it describes above and you'll find that something totally different opens! ;)
  • popaye
    Many many thanx ...i just came to know it from u .....
    previously i thought it might be really a corrupt file ....
    it really open with notepad or wordpad...
    one more question ... why windows by default dont open that nfo file by notepad ...
    didn't he recognise that ...
  • thnx Im already using this!!
  • Rudy
    Ths didn't work .How else?
  • Graham L Farrell
    Bollox... It just pops up "Access Denied.
  • Gogu Ologu
    if you have total commander installed then click on .nfo file to select it then press F3 or click the button F3 View. The file will open in a window. In that window press the key S to switch from ansi to ascii. Click the key A to switch back to ansi.
  • >>>?<<<<
    Lol i donwloaded a movie but it has totaly no sound ... my pc gives that error thing
    but could it countain sound ???
  • ashelectron
    Thank you for the advise, works as you said.
  • kieren
    wow, its that simple :S
    thanks alot
  • yeri
    you are a lifesaver! thank you
  • LowRider
    for my NFO file WordPad worked instead of NotePad, by the way thank a lot for usefull post
  • nice guy
    thx mate
  • Sally Ann
    thx
  • ray
    thanx
    helps much
  • Netherlands
    sorry.. but this WONT work on ANY Computer.
    just download and instal :

    DAMN NFO VIEWER

    Good Luck!

    MMFWCL
  • chuk
    thanks man ....
    this lil piece of info .....was very helpful
  • prosper
    thnk man u r a life saver
  • ibcaleb
    nice lol i didnt know that
  • zai
    geee thanks a lot! you helped me so much =)
  • Toni
    I've always copy/paste the file and rename the new one to *.txt and then it opens
  • chetan
    Nice
  • Someone from the Lithuania
    very thank you!!
  • dc
    I don't understand why people don't just export it as a .txt file if that is all you can get when opening in notepad? It's much more coherent when you do so.

    Why can't you open it in the System Info Dialogue? What's the purpose of having the "open" option?
  • ghee
    thanx, works just fine
  • ghee
    thanx,,,works good
  • Godfather
    Thanks a lot!
  • UFV Student
    thanks. the idea worked but I had to first go to notepad and then open the .nfo file from the "open" browser because notepad wasn't on the list of other programs
  • Bunghole
    If you use Windows 7, you have to go through the Control Panel, and find Default Programs, and then click "Associate a file type or protocol with a program" .

    Then go down the HUGE list of file types, 'till you find: .nfo (& follow the above instructions)

    =D
  • lisa
    Thanks a lot! Works perfectly!
  • Pakmail
    Gracias por la información, fue muy productiva
  • It was helpful, friend. Sometimes internet needs of this basic info, in a simpke language, just like in this post. I know hot to do a lot of things in computer, but don't had used NFO files before.

    See you!
  • Bishno
    Thank you very much, great explanation and it's so easy.
  • bornhacker
    Well its nice but there is another way to open a nfo file.
    Simply... rename the file as ".txt" instead of ".nfo" by right clicking on d file & now open it... here u go...its that easy.....
  • person3211351654566513221
    thank you soooo much this has helped me A LOT
  • JimiJamz
    Thanx, this helped alot.
  • bobjob
    thanks alot i can open my file at last
  • You don't need to know
    Thanks, I've been wondering how you open those things
  • Ruthstar
    Thank You!
  • amandasarah92
    THIS WORKED PEFECTLY...THANK YOU LOTS :)
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