Tips to open MD file

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

MD file extension

File Name Markdown Documentation Format
File Developer John Gruber
File Category Developer Files

The MD file is supported on 4 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the MD files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the MD file on each system platform.

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

What is MD file?

The .MD file is a text file saved in Markdown format. In addition to the text, the file contains information about its formatting in the form of simple markup directly in the text. This type of file is often used in code repositories such as GitHUB as text files with formatting and for file version differentiation. Files can be previewed and edited in a text editor or converted to .HML format.

How to open MD file?

The main problem with Markdown Documentation Format is that the MD file is incorrectly associated with programs. This causes the file MD 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 MD 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 TextMate

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

Step 2. Create association of TextMate with MD files

However, it may happen that the application itself does not cause the MD file to open in the TextMate application, but you can set it manually. The association can be created using the drop-down list available by right-clicking on the file and selecting 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 set the program to handle this type. 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 TextMate application as the default for handling the MD file.

Step 3. Update TextMate to the latest version

The fault may also lie with the TextMate program, it is possible that Markdown Documentation Format requires a newer version of the program. In this case, use the MacroMates Ltd. website or update the program from the application.

Step 4. Check for the following problems with the MD 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:

Very often, the file may be size 0 or incomplete. This suggests truncating the MD file contents when downloading or copying. The only repair option is to download the file again.
The most common cause here is computer viruses. Perform a virus scan using available and up-to-date anti-virus software. Some antivirus vendors also provide free online scanners. However, it is important to scan the entire system, not only the file MD or the program directory. As a result of the scan, sometimes it is not possible to recover MD 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 MD files changes over time. These problems are known and are often very easy to fix using the software developers's website.
The file may be corrupted in a number of ways. Repairing is very dependent on the file type. Sometimes the program itself has options to repair the most popular MD file corruption. You can restore the file from a backup or use John Gruber help.
The program indicates that the file is encrypted or corrupted. The encrypted MD 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.
Some operating systems do not allow file operations in certain locations, eg in system directories or directly on the system drive. These directories are write-protected to them and it's very hard to fix this problem. If possible, you can try to move the MD file to another location.
This can happen on a file that does not support multiple access. In this case, the MD file is blocked by the first application to open it. Running programs (including those in the background) should be verified. Sometimes you have to wait for the session to the file MD to close. Some anti-virus or backup software may occupy the MD file for a certain period of time. If this does not work either, restart the device.