Ways to open KEY files

Computers often store information about the origin of which the user may not know anything. Even the owner of the device is not guaranteed full control over the files, especially if it is system data or software elements. Having discovered on the PC a file of unknown format, which also refuses to open, the user immediately sets himself to ascertain his nature and purpose. Often, there are a lot of questions about objects with the extension “.key” used by different programs and having different content.

Instructions for opening files with the extension KEY.

As a rule, to launch a file, simply double-click on it with the mouse, and the system by default uses the software that created this data or is able to open it. But such a number often fails, especially after reinstalling the OS, when many programs for which a specific element could be intended were removed. The file type is indicated by its extension, that is, the part of the name that is at the end after the dot, but not always, and this information helps the user determine the likely content of the object. The KEY format has several types and can be a registration key, used to store software licenses, Windows registry data, or be an Apple Keynote document. Depending on the origin, this or that program is required to launch an object, but the file may not be meant to open at all.

What is Extension KEY

If the system could not recognize and launch an element of this format, most likely the necessary software is simply not available on the device or the file does not imply a launch, you may need to download it into the program folder, for example, to extend the product license. So, the file extension ".key" can be used as keys or documents by different software depending on its type. Less commonly, the KEY format may contain data of geographic information systems or save settings for the OS and applications.

License key

In this case, the file is used for commercial distribution of software in order to prevent free access to the software. An object with the extension “.key” contains an encrypted key for authenticating and registering the purchase of a product, but it may also have a text format. As usual, such a file is stored in the program directory or OS installation.

Security key

A file in KEY format may contain a registration form, a program's security code, and in this case is stored in the software or properties directory. The object can be used to perform encryption; it is often used by antivirus software and other security tools to store encrypted data. These items are not intended for viewing.

Registry file in Windows 7

The extension ".key" is used in the Seven, by analogy with the ".reg" in earlier versions of the operating system, the contents of the system file created by Windows, stores the registry keys. With its help is available to make changes to the registry, the information is added by double-clicking the mouse. You can open this file with a text editor.

Keyboard layout file

Sometimes an object with the extension “.key” is a configuration file and is used to define and store keyboard shortcuts, keyboard shortcuts, or markup for different languages. Such files are used by various programs, including computer games.

Keynote Presentation

Objects that have the KEY extension are often directly related to Apple's Keynote program, included in the Mac office software package, and may contain images, slides, spreadsheets, texts, graphics, and other elements used in the presentation.

Game resource file

Objects with the considered extension are also used as resources in the game engines of BioWare Infiniti and Aurora.

opening ways

The purpose of an element of this format directly affects which program opens it, an object can be specified when requesting a license or placed in a folder with software, so first you need to determine what it is for. Most of them are service tools of the system or software that serve different purposes, and the application uses KEY objects on its own, but sometimes it is possible to identify the contents of the user for further work with him. Consider how to open the ".key" file if necessary, provided that it provides for viewing.

Notepad ++

Text editor Notepad with a rich set of functions is an alternative to the standard notebook, it has syntax highlighting of various programming languages ​​and markup, supports more than a hundred different formats, including the ability to open .key. The software is distributed for free, has a Russian interface and works on any Windows.

If the program is already installed on the computer, then the easiest method to open the KEY file is to select Notepad ++ from the list of applications that open when the Open With window opens from the context menu (called up by right-clicking on the object). You can also immediately tick the option for the subsequent opening of objects of this type with the selected editor.

Another way is to open the document directly from the application:

  • In the “File” menu, go to the “Open” option (or use the Ctrl + O hot keys);
  • In the window that opens, select the desired item and click the "Open" button;
  • Content will be available for viewing in the editor.

Wordpad

KEY data is also opened by the standard WordPad editor, which does not require the user to install, since it already exists in Windows. The procedure will require actions similar to those described above:

  • Press the menu button in the running editor, select "Open";
  • In the explorer, we denote the object and open it with the corresponding button.

Or open the document by right-clicking on it and selecting the launch using this software.

Notebook

Another option to open a KEY file on a computer involves the use of a standard notebook, also available on Windows by default. From the application, the object is launched in the same way as in the previous cases:

  • Menu "File" - "Open";
  • Select an item, click the open button, after which the contents appear in Notepad.

As a rule, the considered tools without problems launch objects with the extension “.key”, another thing is that the information may contain a meaningless and useless for the user character set, but it is not always possible to see what the file stores in itself. In some cases, the impossibility of recognition can be triggered by a number of factors and is not associated with the lack of the desired program.

What else can cause problems with the file?

If attempts to open an element with the key extension were unsuccessful, a possible reason could be incompatibility with the program associated with its maintenance. To correct this misunderstanding, you need to manually assign the appropriate application, for which you right-click the manipulator button on the object to open the context menu, where we select the “Open with” option, and then indicate the new link with the installed software. We also mark the item “Always use this application to open .key files”.

Another reason for the inability to view the content of an item can be trivial damage due to various factors, from the influence of malware to incomplete download. In this situation, you must re-download the desired object from the same or another source.