Tips to open PREF file

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

PREF file extension

File Name Preferences Format
File Category Settings Files

The PREF file is supported on 1 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the PREF files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the PREF file on each system platform.

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

What is PREF file?

The file in the PREF format belongs to the Settings Files category. In addition to this file, the Settings Files category includes 1305 related files. Preferences Format appears on 1 operating systems as a functional file. The file will work on Windows systems, unfortunately not on others. This file type can also be opened by 1 other programs. The Adobe Device Central programs will also handle the file when the Referenced by various programs program does not fulfill its role.

How to open PREF file?

The main problem with Preferences Format is that the PREF file is incorrectly associated with programs. Thus, when you open PREF, the program selection wizard or some other program starts. How to solve such a problem?

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the PREF 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 Referenced by various programs

An often overlooked issue is to make sure that Referenced by various programs is installed on the computer. The easiest method is to use the system search engine by entering the program name Referenced by various programs in it. If it is not, installation may solve the problem, as most applications create file associations during installation. Below is a list of programs that support the file PREF.

Step 2. Create association of Referenced by various programs with PREF files

If, despite the installed application, the PREF file does not start in the Referenced by various programs 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 select the desired program. 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. Checking the "Always use the selected program ..." box will permanently associate the PREF file with the Referenced by various programs program.

Step 3. Update Referenced by various programs to the latest version

If, despite the association of the Referenced by various programs program with the Preferences Format file, the file still does not open, check the program version and possibly update it to the newest version.

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

The affected file may be 0 KB or smaller than expected. This is most often caused by a problem while downloading the PREF file. Downloading the file again should fix the problem.
The operating system may be infected with a computer virus. 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. For the best results, we will scan the entire operating system, not just our PREF file. However, remember that not every infected PREF file can be recovered, so it is important to take care of regular backups.
A typical compatibility error - the program does not support the older version of the PREF file. These problems are known and are often very easy to fix using the software developers's website.
There can be many reasons for this. Depending on the type of file, it is necessary to repair it accordingly. Sometimes the program itself has options to repair the most popular PREF file corruption.
The program can also signal the fact of encryption. The encrypted PREF 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 PREF file to another location will fix the problem.
This can happen on a file that does not support multiple access. In this case, the PREF file is blocked by the first application to open it. Just close unnecessary programs. Sometimes it is necessary to wait a while before referencing the PREF file again. Some anti-virus or backup software may occupy the PREF file for a certain period of time. If nothing helps, please reset the device.