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Open HQX file

HQX files: what are they and how do I open them?

hqx file icon Are you facing difficulties opening unknown files on your computer, or wondering exactly what this file is?
We've got the information and best software solutions for opening these files effortlessly.

Macintosh BinHex archive

Files with hqx extension are archives in Macintosh BinHex archive format. Used mainly in previous versions of Mac OS operating system.

Further details:

File extension hqx is associated with the Macintosh BinHex archive format that was used in previous versions of MAC OS operating systems.

BinHex is short for "binary-to-hexadecimal" and was once a common format to convert a file from binary form to an ASCII text file (8-bit binary format to 7-bit ASCII text format). Binary file converted to ASCII format take up more space, but are less likely to be corrupted when it transferred between systems. BinHex was very popular to transfer binary data as a text attachment via e-mail.

BinHex format was very popular on Mac OS 9 operating system and earlier because it combines data and resource forks of a file and preserves them during transfer.

BinHex format uses compression function of the RLE type, to avoid sending repetitive sequences of identical characters.

hqx MIME types: 
application/binhex
application/mac-binhex
application/mac-binhex40
application/octet-stream
application/x-gzip
application/x-stuffit
application/x-tar
application/x-winzip
application/x-zip-compressed

Open file with:

BinHex 4.0 icon

BinHex 4.0

A system used to encoding binary files sent via e-mail on Mac

MacDisk for Windows

A Mac magnetic media reading utility

What is the meaning of a file extension?

File extensions are characters that appear after the dot in a computer file's name. For example, the file "unknown-file.hqx" has the file extension "hqx". This is used to identify which program should open the file or what file type it is.
File extensions help you organize and manage files. They provide a quick and easy way to identify and associate the file type with the appropriate software.

We can help you open your file

In our database, we have collected a huge number of different file extensions, detailed descriptions, and programs that can be used to open or otherwise work with the file extensions listed in our database.
This database is an invaluable resource for users who want to understand better file extensions and what they can do with them. It also allows users to know different file types with the same purpose.

Only verified software links are provided

We have verified every software listed in our database. The software listed in our database includes links to the developer's or software's website. These links should allow you to download the right program for each file type. Using verified software from reputable sources helps minimize the risk of malware and viruses infecting your computer.