Tips to open BED file
Can't open the BED file? You are not the only one. Thousands of users face similar problems every day. Below you will find tips on how to open BED files as well as a list of programs that support BED files.
BED file extension
| File Name |
UCSC BED Annotation Track Format |
| File Developer |
UCSC |
| File Category |
Data Files |
The BED file is supported on 4 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the BED files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the BED file on each system platform.
What is BED file?
The file with the extension BED is the Data Files file type. The author of this format is UCSC. Data Files consists of 1326 similar files. UCSC BED Annotation Track Format is supported by 4 operating systems. The file will work on Linux, Mac OS, Web, Windows systems, unfortunately not on others. The main program that supports this format is Integrated Genome Browser. This was created by UNC Charlotte. Alternatively, you can use 4 other programs. The Genome Browser, InfoSnorkel programs will also handle the file when the Integrated Genome Browser program does not fulfill its role.
How to open BED file?
The most common problem when using UCSC BED Annotation Track Format is that a specific BED is not associated with the program. This causes the file BED 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 BED 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 Integrated Genome Browser
In this case, you should first verify that the Integrated Genome Browser application is installed on the computer. To do this, enter the name Integrated Genome Browser 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 BED.
Programs to open BED file
Remember to download programs supporting BED files only from verified and safe sources. We suggest using the websites of software developers.
Step 2. Create association of Integrated Genome Browser with BED files
If, despite the installed application, the BED file does not start in the Integrated Genome Browser application, you must create a file association. It is most convenient to call the context menu with the right mouse button and select Properties. 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 select the desired program. 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 BED file with the Integrated Genome Browser application.
Step 3. Update Integrated Genome Browser to the latest version
The fault may also lie with the Integrated Genome Browser program, it is possible that UCSC BED Annotation Track Format requires a newer version of the program. This can be done using the application (if it provides such options) or from the UNC Charlotte website and install the latest version.
Step 4. Check for the following problems with the BED file
If the above steps do not help, you can assume that the file itself is not correct. File problems can be divided into the following:
The affected file may be 0 KB or smaller than expected. This is most often caused by a problem while downloading the BED file. The file should be downloaded again, making sure that the process has finished correctly.
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 BED file. As a result of the scan, sometimes it is not possible to recover BED files, which are deleted if there is a backup of this file, then after restoring it, it must also be scanned.
This can happen especially when the program is dynamically developed and the structure of the BED files changes over time. These problems are known and are often very easy to fix using the software developers's website.
There can be many reasons for this. Repairing is very dependent on the file type. Some programs offer the option of recovering data from damaged BED files. The easiest way is to restore the file from a backup, if there is one, or contact UCSC
When reading, a message appears that the file was encrypted or corrupted. The encrypted BED files can be used by the device on which they were encrypted, on any other device it is required to have the appropriate cryptographic key and decrypt the file before its recovery.
The operating system protects files in some locations (e.g. the root of the system partition) against unauthorized access. While there is usually no problem reading such a file, it may not be possible to save it. If possible, you can try to move the BED file to another location.
This problem only occurs with more complex files. Some file types can only be opened in one program at a time. Closing other programs should help. Sometimes you have to wait for the session to the file BED to close. However, some background programs may block the BED file while scanning. If the problem persists, restart the machine.
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