Tips to open NITF file
Can't open the NITF file? You are not the only one. Thousands of users face similar problems every day. Below you will find tips on how to open NITF files as well as a list of programs that support NITF files.
NITF file extension
| File Name |
National Imagery Transmission Format |
| File Developer |
U.S. Department of Defense |
| File Category |
Data Files |
The NITF file is supported on 3 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the NITF files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the NITF file on each system platform.
What is NITF file?
The file in the NITF format belongs to the Data Files category. It was designed by U.S. Department of Defense. Data Files consists of 1326 similar files. National Imagery Transmission Format appears on 3 operating systems as a functional file. These systems consist of Linux, Mac OS, Windows, although it may occasionally be found on another system, it will be non-functional. It is recommended to use XnView to handle this file. This is a program created by Pierre-Emmanuel Gougelet. This file type can also be opened by 5 other programs. The GDAL, Converter Pro, ENVI programs will also handle the file when the XnView program does not fulfill its role.
How to open NITF file?
The main problem with National Imagery Transmission Format is that the NITF file is incorrectly associated with programs. This is manifested by the fact that NITF files open in unusual applications or do not have an assigned program. How to solve such a problem?
The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the NITF 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 XnView
The first step is to check if the computer has the XnView program installed. To do this, enter the name XnView into the system search engine. In the absence of an appropriate program, its installation in the vast majority of cases will fix the problem. Later in this article you will find a list of programs that can open NITF files.
Programs to open NITF file
Remember to download programs supporting NITF files only from verified and safe sources. We suggest using the websites of software developers.
Step 2. Create association of XnView with NITF files
If the application is or has been freshly installed, but the NITF file still does not use the XnView program, it means no 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 set the program to handle this type. The program should be visible in the window, otherwise it should be selected manually using the "Browse" button and the program installation directory should be indicated. However, it is important to check the "Always use the selected program ..." box, this will allow you to permanently associate the NITF file with the XnView application.
Step 3. Update XnView to the latest version
If, however, after binding XnView with National Imagery Transmission 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 Pierre-Emmanuel Gougelet website and install the latest version.
Step 4. Check for the following problems with the NITF file
Of course, it may happen that despite the above steps, the file still does not work. File problems can be divided into the following:
The affected file may be 0 KB or smaller than expected. Usually this applies to NITF 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. Alternatively, you can use the scanners available online. For the best results, we will scan the entire operating system, not just our NITF file. As a result of the scan, sometimes it is not possible to recover NITF 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 NITF 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 the failure. Depending on the type of file, it is necessary to repair it accordingly. Sometimes the program itself has options to repair the most popular NITF file corruption. The easiest way to restore the file is from a backup or by contacting U.S. Department of Defense, but this one can be expensive. Not all damage can be reversed.
When reading, a message appears that the file was encrypted or corrupted. The encrypted NITF 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 of the system directories are excluded from modification. These directories are write-protected to them and it's very hard to fix this problem. Copying the NITF file to another location will fix the problem.
This can happen on a file that does not support multiple access. In this case, the NITF file is blocked by the first application to open it. Running programs (including those in the background) should be verified. If the error persists after closing other programs, wait for a while. Antivirus programs or a backup being made may lock the file for a while without the user's knowledge. If this does not work either, restart the device.
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