Tips to open IDX file

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

IDX file extension

File Name Index Format
File Category Misc Files

The IDX file is supported on 2 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the IDX files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the IDX file on each system platform.

Operating systems
  • 8
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

What is IDX file?

The .IDX file is a system file, it contains indexes. Resources, i.e. files, directories, e-mail messages, text documents, are indexed to speed up searching. The index is ordered and searched faster than the directory structure, which is usually organized logically for the user rather than in terms of information retrieval. Indexes are not obligatory, but their absence may slow down or completely prevent the search. The index can be rebuilt.

How to open IDX file?

The main problem with Index Format is that the IDX file is incorrectly associated with programs. This causes the file IDX 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 IDX 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 Visual FoxPro

The first step is to check if the computer has the Visual FoxPro program installed. To do this, enter the name Visual FoxPro into the 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 IDX files.

Step 2. Create association of Visual FoxPro with IDX files

If, despite the installed application, the IDX file does not start in the Visual FoxPro application, you must create a file 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 select the desired program. 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 Visual FoxPro application as the default for handling the IDX file.

Step 3. Update Visual FoxPro to the latest version

If, however, after binding Visual FoxPro with Index Format there were still problems, you should update the program to the latest version. This can be done using the application (if it provides such options) or from the Microsoft Corporation website and install the latest version.

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

The problem may also be with the file itself if the above steps don't work. File problems can be divided into the following:

The IDX file may be unusually small compared to the original file. Usually this applies to IDX files downloaded from the Internet in case the download did not finish properly. Downloading the file again should fix the problem.
The most common cause here is computer viruses. 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. However, it is important to scan the entire system, not only the file IDX or the program directory. However, remember that not every infected IDX file can be recovered, so it is important to take care of regular backups.
This can happen especially when the program is dynamically developed and the structure of the IDX files changes over time. 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 IDX files. The easiest way is to restore the file from a backup, if there is one, or contact N/A
The program indicates that the file is encrypted or corrupted. The encrypted file IDX 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.
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. Copying the IDX file to another location will fix the problem.
This can happen on a file that does not support multiple access. You may find that another program you are using is preventing you from working with the file. Closing other programs should help. Sometimes it is necessary to wait a while before referencing the IDX file again. However, some background programs may block the IDX file while scanning. If the problem persists, restart the machine.