Tips to open CNT file

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

CNT file extension

File Name Help Contents Format
File Developer Microsoft
File Category System Files

The CNT file is supported on 1 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the CNT files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the CNT file on each system platform.

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

What is CNT file?

The file in the CNT format belongs to the System Files category. It was designed by Microsoft. In addition to this file, the System Files category includes 323 related files. Help Contents Format appears on 1 operating systems as a functional file. Although it can be found with greater or lesser success on any operating system, it will only be useful on Windows. The Microsoft HTML Help Workshop application is recommended to open the file. It was released by Microsoft Corporation. Alternatively, you can use 3 other programs. Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Windows Help, Adobe RoboHelp will apply when it is not possible to use Microsoft HTML Help Workshop.

How to open CNT file?

The most common problem when using Help Contents Format is that a specific CNT is not associated with the program. This is manifested by the fact that CNT files open in unusual applications or do not have an assigned program. This can be quickly resolved by following the instructions below.

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the CNT 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 Microsoft HTML Help Workshop

An often overlooked issue is to make sure that Microsoft HTML Help Workshop is installed on the computer. The easiest method is to use the system search engine by entering the program name Microsoft HTML Help Workshop in it. If we do not have this program, it is worth installing it, as it will help you automatically associate the file CNT with Microsoft HTML Help Workshop. Below you will find a list of applications that support CNT files.

Step 2. Create association of Microsoft HTML Help Workshop with CNT files

If, despite the installed application, the CNT file does not start in the Microsoft HTML Help Workshop 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 displayed window will contain information about the program that supports this type of file. Using the "Change" button we can select the desired program. It may happen that in the next window there will be no appropriate program - however, this can be corrected with the "Browse" option where you should manually indicate the program location. The "always use the selected program ..." field will set the Microsoft HTML Help Workshop application as the default for handling the CNT file.

Step 3. Update Microsoft HTML Help Workshop to the latest version

If, despite the association of the Microsoft HTML Help Workshop program with the Help Contents 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 Microsoft Corporation website or update the program from the application.

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

Of course, it may happen that despite the above steps, the file still does not work. The most common file problems are:

The CNT file may be unusually small compared to the original file. This is most often caused by a problem while downloading the CNT file. The file should be downloaded again, making sure that the process has finished correctly.
The most common cause here is computer viruses. A virus scan using an up-to-date antivirus program should fix the problem. Some antivirus vendors also provide free online scanners. The scan should cover the entire computer, not only the CNT file that we want to open. Sometimes virus-infected CNT files cannot be recovered, so make a backup in advance.
Older version of CNT file may not always be supported by the latest software version. 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. The repair method must be adapted to the type of file and damage. Some programs offer the option of recovering data from damaged CNT files. You can restore the file from a backup or use Microsoft help.
When reading, a message appears that the file was encrypted or corrupted. The encrypted CNT 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 CNT 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. Sometimes it is necessary to wait a while before referencing the CNT file again. Some anti-virus or backup software may occupy the CNT file for a certain period of time. If this does not work either, restart the device.