Tips to open IQY file

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

IQY file extension

File Name Internet Query
File Developer Microsoft
File Category Web Files

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

Operating systems
  • 2
  • 3
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

What is IQY file?

The file with the extension IQY is the Web Files file type. It was designed by Microsoft. In addition to this file, the Web Files category includes 303 related files. Internet Query is supported by 2 operating systems. The file will work on Mac OS, Windows systems, unfortunately not on others. The main program that supports this format is Microsoft Excel. This was created by Microsoft Corporation. There are also 4 alternative programs to handle the IQY file. You can use TextEdit, Microsoft Office, Windows Notepad in case Microsoft Excel cannot be used.

How to open IQY file?

The main problem with Internet Query is that the IQY file is incorrectly associated with programs. This causes the file IQY to open by system applications not designed for this purpose, or to display a message that there is no associated program. How to solve such a problem?

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the IQY 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 Excel

An often overlooked issue is to make sure that Microsoft Excel is installed on the computer. To do this, enter the name Microsoft Excel into the system search engine. If it is not, installation may solve the problem, as most applications create file associations during installation. Below you will find a list of applications that support IQY files.

Step 2. Create association of Microsoft Excel with IQY files

If the application is or has been freshly installed, but the IQY file still does not use the Microsoft Excel program, it means no association. This option is available from the level of Properties of a specific file available in the context menu. 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 Excel application as the default for handling the IQY file.

Step 3. Update Microsoft Excel to the latest version

If, however, after binding Microsoft Excel with Internet Query there were still problems, you should update the program to the latest version. Some applications allow you to update from the program level, and for others you need to download the installer from the Microsoft Corporation page and install.

Step 4. Check for the following problems with the IQY 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 IQY file contents when downloading or copying. 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. Alternatively, you can use the scanners available online. However, it is important to scan the entire system, not only the file IQY or the program directory. Sometimes virus-infected IQY files cannot be recovered, so make a backup in advance.
This can happen especially when the program is dynamically developed and the structure of the IQY 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. Sometimes the program itself has options to repair the most popular IQY file corruption. The easiest way to restore the file is from a backup or by contacting Microsoft, but this one can be expensive. Not all damage can be reversed.
The program can also signal the fact of encryption. The encrypted IQY files cannot be played on other computers than the one on which they were encrypted, they must be decrypted before using on another device.
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. If possible, you can try to move the IQY file to another location.
This problem usually affects more complex files. In this case, the IQY file is blocked by the first application to open it. Closing other programs should help. Sometimes it is necessary to wait a while before referencing the IQY file again. However, some background programs may block the IQY file while scanning. If this does not work either, restart the device.