Tips to open P7S file

Can't open the P7S file? You are not the only one. Thousands of users face similar problems every day. Below you will find tips on how to open P7S files as well as a list of programs that support P7S files.

P7S file extension

File Name Digitally Signed Email Message
File Category Text Files

The P7S file is supported on 3 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the P7S files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the P7S file on each system platform.

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

What is P7S file?

The .P7S file is a text file. It is an Email digitally signed by the sender. In most cases, this also means encrypting the content. The digital signature authenticates the sender and the message content. Most of the popular e-mail clients support digital signature mechanisms, then the file is invisible. For software that does not support it, the file smime.P7S will be attached to the message. Additionally, if the message is encrypted, its content will be unavailable.

How to open P7S file?

The main problem with Digitally Signed Email Message is that the P7S file is incorrectly associated with programs. Thus, when you open P7S, the program selection wizard or some other program starts. This can be quickly resolved by following the instructions below.

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the P7S 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 Apple Mail

An often overlooked issue is to make sure that Apple Mail is installed on the computer. This can be achieved by typing Apple Mail into the operating system search engine. In the absence of an appropriate program, its installation in the vast majority of cases will fix the problem. Below you will find a list of applications that support P7S files.

Step 2. Create association of Apple Mail with P7S files

If, despite the installed application, the P7S file does not start in the Apple Mail application, you must create a file association. This option is available from the level of Properties of a specific file available in the context menu. The window will show, among other things, the type of the file and the information by which the program is used to launch the file. Using the "Change" button we can set the program to handle this type. If there is no software on the list, simply select "Browse" and manually select the directory where the application is installed. The "always use the selected program ..." field will set the Apple Mail application as the default for handling the P7S file.

Step 3. Update Apple Mail to the latest version

The fault may also lie with the Apple Mail program, it is possible that Digitally Signed Email Message requires a newer version of the program. This can be done using the application (if it provides such options) or from the Apple, Inc. website and install the latest version.

Step 4. Check for the following problems with the P7S file

The problem may also be with the file itself if the above steps don't work. The most common file problems are:

Very often, the file may be size 0 or incomplete. This suggests truncating the P7S file contents when downloading or copying. The only repair option is to download the file again.
The operating system may be infected with a computer virus. A virus scan using an up-to-date antivirus program should fix the problem. Some antivirus vendors also provide free online scanners. For the best results, we will scan the entire operating system, not just our P7S file. As a result of the scan, sometimes it is not possible to recover P7S 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 P7S file. Help should be sought from the software developer, as they usually recommend using free file converters or installing an older version of the program.
There can be many reasons for this. The repair method must be adapted to the type of file and damage. Some programs offer the option of recovering data from damaged P7S files. The easiest way to restore the file is from a backup or by contacting N/A, but this one can be expensive. Not all damage can be reversed.
The program can also signal the fact of encryption. The encrypted P7S files cannot be played on other computers than the one on which they were encrypted, they must be decrypted before using on another device.
The operating system protects files in some locations (e.g. the root of the system partition) against unauthorized access. These directories are write-protected to them and it's very hard to fix this problem. It is best to move P7S to a different directory.
This can happen on a file that does not support multiple access. Some file types can only be opened in one program at a time. Running programs (including those in the background) should be verified. If the error persists after closing other programs, wait for a while. Some anti-virus or backup software may occupy the P7S file for a certain period of time. If the problem persists, restart the machine.