Tips to open APNG file

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

APNG file extension

File Name Animated Portable Network Graphics Format
File Category Raster Image Files

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

Operating systems
  • 4
  • 4
  • 4
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

What is APNG file?

The file in the APNG format belongs to the Raster Image Files category. In addition to this file, the Raster Image Files category includes 522 related files. Animated Portable Network Graphics Format is most often found on 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. It is recommended to use XnView to handle this file. This is a program created by Pierre-Emmanuel Gougelet. There are also 11 alternative programs to handle the APNG file. Opera, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome will apply when it is not possible to use XnView.

How to open APNG file?

An often recurring problem with Animated Portable Network Graphics Format is that APNG is not associated with the correct program file. Thus, when you open APNG, the program selection wizard or some other program starts. This problem can be easily remedied.

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the APNG 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 XnView

The first step is to check if the computer has the XnView program installed. To do this, enter the name XnView into the system search engine. If it is not, installation may solve the problem, as most applications create file associations during installation. Below is a list of programs that support the file APNG.

Step 2. Create association of XnView with APNG files

If the application is or has been freshly installed, but the APNG file still does not use the XnView program, it means no association. The association can be created using the drop-down list available by right-clicking on the file and selecting Properties. The displayed window will contain information about the program that supports this type of file. Using the "Change" button we can set the program to handle this type. 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. However, it is important to check the "Always use the selected program ..." box, this will allow you to permanently associate the APNG file with the XnView application.

Step 3. Update XnView to the latest version

If, despite the association of the XnView program with the Animated Portable Network Graphics Format file, the file still does not open, check the program version and possibly update it to the newest version. Some applications allow you to update from the program level, and for others you need to download the installer from the Pierre-Emmanuel Gougelet page and install.

Step 4. Check for the following problems with the APNG 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 APNG file contents when downloading or copying. The only repair option is to download the file again.
The computer may have fallen victim to a computer virus or hacker. A quick virus scan using an up-to-date antivirus program should clear up any doubts. If this is not possible, you can use the online scanner. The scan should cover the entire computer, not only the APNG file that we want to open. As a result of the scan, sometimes it is not possible to recover APNG 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 APNG 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.
There can be many reasons for this. Depending on the type of file, it is necessary to repair it accordingly. Some programs offer the ability to automatically repair APNG file corruption. The easiest way is to restore the file from a backup, if there is one, or contact N/A
The program can also signal the fact of encryption. The encrypted file APNG 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 operating systems do not allow file operations in certain locations, eg in system directories or directly on the system drive. While there is usually no problem reading such a file, it may not be possible to save it. Copying the APNG file to another location will fix the problem.
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 the problem persists, restart the machine.