Tips to open META4 file

Can't open the META4 file? You are not the only one. Thousands of users face similar problems every day. Below you will find tips on how to open META4 files as well as a list of programs that support META4 files.

META4 file extension

File Name Metalink 4.0
File Category Web Files

The META4 file is supported on 2 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the META4 files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the META4 file on each system platform.

Operating systems
  • 2
  • 0
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

What is META4 file?

The file with the extension META4 is the Web Files file type. In addition to this file, the Web Files category includes 303 related files. Metalink 4.0 is most often found on 2 operating systems. Although it can be found with greater or lesser success on any operating system, it will only be useful on Linux, Windows. The main program that supports this format is Free Download Manager. This was created by Free Download Manager.ORG. There are also 2 alternative programs to handle the META4 file. The JDownloader, GetRight Download Manager programs will also handle the file when the Free Download Manager program does not fulfill its role.

How to open META4 file?

The main problem with Metalink 4.0 is that the META4 file is incorrectly associated with programs. This causes the file META4 to open by system applications not designed for this purpose, or to display a message that there is no associated program. This can be quickly resolved by following the instructions below.

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the META4 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 Free Download Manager

An often overlooked issue is to make sure that Free Download Manager is installed on the computer. This can be achieved by typing Free Download Manager into the operating system search engine. If we do not have this program, it is worth installing it, as it will help you automatically associate the file META4 with Free Download Manager. Below is a list of programs that support the file META4.

Step 2. Create association of Free Download Manager with META4 files

If, despite the installed application, the META4 file does not start in the Free Download Manager application, you must create a file association. It is most convenient to call the context menu with the right mouse button and select Properties. Information about the file and the program that the file is associated with are available here. 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 Free Download Manager application as the default for handling the META4 file.

Step 3. Update Free Download Manager to the latest version

If, despite the association of the Free Download Manager program with the Metalink 4.0 file, the file still does not open, check the program version and possibly update it to the newest version. This can be done using the application (if it provides such options) or from the Free Download Manager.ORG website and install the latest version.

Step 4. Check for the following problems with the META4 file

If the above steps do not help, you can assume that the file itself is not correct. This could be due to the file itself, the cleanest issues are:

Very often, the file may be size 0 or incomplete. Usually this applies to META4 files downloaded from the Internet in case the download did not finish properly. The only repair option is to download the file again.
The operating system may be infected with a computer virus. 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 META4 or the program directory. As a result of the scan, sometimes it is not possible to recover META4 files, which are deleted if there is a backup of this file, then after restoring it, it must also be scanned.
Older version of META4 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.
There can be many reasons for this. Depending on the type of file, it is necessary to repair it accordingly. Some programs offer the option of recovering data from damaged META4 files. You can restore the file from a backup or use N/A help.
The program can also signal the fact of encryption. The encrypted META4 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. The problem is only writing to the file, not reading it. Copying the META4 file to another location will fix the problem.
This problem only occurs with more complex files. You may find that another program you are using is preventing you from working with the file. Closing other programs should help. Sometimes you have to wait for the session to the file META4 to close. Antivirus programs or a backup being made may lock the file for a while without the user's knowledge. If the problem persists, restart the machine.