What to do When CDF Files Won’t Open

Why won’t your CDF file open? You’ve tried double-clicking it, but it doesn’t come up, or you see an error message. So what do you do? This is a common issue with various file extensions because many extensions can be opened by multiple programs, and many programs can open a variety of extensions. It sounds confusing, but it's a lot easier to understand than you might think!

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Which program should you use?

Your computer may be trying to use the wrong program to open the CDF file, or it may not have a program installed that can open the file. There are a few different programs you can use to open CDF files, including MicroSim PCBoard Component Description File For Bill Of Materials, ANDI/netCDF Mass Spectrometry Data Interchange format, and Channel Definition Format software. Try downloading one or more of these from the manufacturer’s website to open your CDF file.

What type of file is it?

The file type is the key to opening CDF files. CDF files are usually considered Data Files. You may already have a program on your computer that can open this type of file.

If the file type is unknown, you can find it in the file properties by following the steps below.

Computer Files
Windows:
  1. Right-click the file and click “Properties”.
  2. Look under “Type of File” for the file type.
Mac:
  1. Right-click the file and click “Properties".
  2. Look under “Kind” for the file type.

Who developed the software?

If you can’t find the right program to open your CDF file, a software developer might be able to help you. Contact the developer of one of the most common programs for CDF files from the list below.

Software Developer
MicroSim PCBoard Component Description File For Bill Of Materials is developed by Windows Programmer
ANDI/netCDF Mass Spectrometry Data Interchange format is developed by Windows Programmer
Channel Definition Format is developed by Microsoft Corporation
Xilinx Integrated Software Environment Chain Description File is developed by Xilinx Inc.
ASCII Format Describing VRML Worlds is developed by Microsoft Programmer
InstallShield Components Definition File is developed by Acresso Software Inc.
Comma Delimited Format is developed by Unknown
CDF Player Computable Document Format is developed by Wolfram
Nominal Accounting Nominal Accounting is developed by bsmArt Consulting
Cyberspace Description Format is developed by Unknown
Unidata NetCDF Graphic File is developed by University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Why not try a universal file viewer?

A universal file viewer is a program that can open files with a wide range of extensions, depending on the file format. When you have CDF files you can’t open, a universal file viewer like File Magic (Download) can open it for you. Just remember that some files aren’t compatible with this type of program, and they will only open in binary format.


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