Tips to open LY file

Can't open the LY file? You are not the only one. Thousands of users face similar problems every day. Below you will find tips on how to open LY files as well as a list of programs that support LY files.

LY file extension

File Name LilyPond Format
File Developer GNU
File Category Data Files

The LY file is supported on 3 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the LY files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the LY file on each system platform.

Operating systems
  • 2
  • 1
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

What is LY file?

The file in the LY format belongs to the Data Files category. The author of this format is GNU. Data Files consists of 1326 similar files. LilyPond Format is supported by 3 operating systems. These systems consist of Linux, Mac OS, Windows, although it may occasionally be found on another system, it will be non-functional. The main program that supports this format is LilyPond. This was created by GNU Project. This file type can also be opened by 3 other programs. You can use MuseScore in case LilyPond cannot be used.

How to open LY file?

The most common problem when using LilyPond Format is that a specific LY is not associated with the program. This causes the file LY to open by system applications not designed for this purpose, or to display a message that there is no associated program. This problem can be easily remedied.

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the LY file icon you want to open. If the operating system has an appropriate application to support it and there is also an association between the file and the program, the file should be opened.

Step 1. Install LilyPond

In this case, you should first verify that the LilyPond application is installed on the computer. To do this, enter the name LilyPond into the system search engine. If we do not have this program, it is worth installing it, as it will help you automatically associate the file LY with LilyPond. Below is a list of programs that support the file LY.

Programs to open LY file

Remember to download programs supporting LY files only from verified and safe sources. We suggest using the websites of software developers.

Step 2. Create association of LilyPond with LY files

However, it may happen that the application itself does not cause the LY file to open in the LilyPond application, but you can set it manually. The association can be created using the drop-down list available by right-clicking on the file and selecting Properties. Information about the file and the program that the file is associated with are available here. Changes can be made using the "Change" button. The program should be visible in the window, otherwise it should be selected manually using the "Browse" button and the program installation directory should be indicated. The "always use the selected program ..." field will set the LilyPond application as the default for handling the LY file.

Step 3. Update LilyPond to the latest version

If, despite the association of the LilyPond program with the LilyPond Format file, the file still does not open, check the program version and possibly update it to the newest version. In this case, use the GNU Project website or update the program from the application.

Step 4. Check for the following problems with the LY file

If the above steps do not help, you can assume that the file itself is not correct. The most common file problems are:

Very often, the file may be size 0 or incomplete. This suggests truncating the LY file contents when downloading or copying. The file should be downloaded again, making sure that the process has finished correctly.
The most common cause here is computer viruses. Perform a virus scan using available and up-to-date anti-virus software. If this is not possible, you can use the online scanner. The scan should cover the entire computer, not only the LY file that we want to open. As a result of the scan, sometimes it is not possible to recover LY files, which are deleted if there is a backup of this file, then after restoring it, it must also be scanned.
A typical compatibility error - the program does not support the older version of the LY file. On their websites, developers usually offer free solutions to such problems, e.g. in the form of a conversion program or an older version of the program.
The file may be corrupted in a number of ways. Repairing is very dependent on the file type. Some programs offer the option of recovering data from damaged LY files. The easiest way to restore the file is from a backup or by contacting GNU, but this one can be expensive. Not all damage can be reversed.
When reading, a message appears that the file was encrypted or corrupted. The encrypted file LY except for the special designation, works normally, but only on the device where it was encrypted, before transferring it to another machine, decryption is required.
Some of the system directories are excluded from modification. These directories are write-protected to them and it's very hard to fix this problem. It is best to move LY to a different directory.
This problem usually affects more complex files. Some file types can only be opened in one program at a time. Closing other programs should help. If the error persists after closing other programs, wait for a while. Antivirus programs or a backup being made may lock the file for a while without the user's knowledge. If nothing helps, please reset the device.