Tips to open TNEF file

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

TNEF file extension

File Name Transport Neutral Encapsulation Format
File Developer Microsoft
File Category Misc Files

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

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

What is TNEF file?

The TNEF file has been categorized as Misc Files. It was designed by Microsoft. Misc Files consists of 6033 similar files. Transport Neutral Encapsulation Format is most often found on 2 operating systems. The file will work on Mac OS, Windows systems, unfortunately not on others. It is recommended to use Apple Mail to handle this file. This is a program created by Apple, Inc.. Alternatively, you can use 4 other programs. The Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Outlook Express programs will also handle the file when the Apple Mail program does not fulfill its role.

How to open TNEF file?

The main problem with Transport Neutral Encapsulation Format is that the TNEF file is incorrectly associated with programs. This is manifested by the fact that TNEF files open in unusual applications or do not have an assigned program. This can be quickly resolved by following the instructions below.

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the TNEF 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 Apple Mail

The first step is to check if the computer has the Apple Mail program installed. To do this, enter the name Apple Mail into the system search engine. If we do not have this program, it is worth installing it, as it will help you automatically associate the file TNEF with Apple Mail. Below is a list of programs that support the file TNEF.

Step 2. Create association of Apple Mail with TNEF files

If, despite the installed application, the TNEF file does not start in the Apple Mail application, you must create a file association. 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. 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 TNEF file with the Apple Mail program.

Step 3. Update Apple Mail to the latest version

If, despite the association of the Apple Mail program with the Transport Neutral Encapsulation Format file, the file still does not open, check the program version and possibly update it to the newest version. Some applications allow you to update from the program level, and for others you need to download the installer from the Apple, Inc. page and install.

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

The problem may also be with the file itself if the above steps don't work. This could be due to the file itself, the cleanest issues are:

The affected file may be 0 KB or smaller than expected. This suggests truncating the TNEF file contents when downloading or copying. Downloading the file again should fix the problem.
The computer may have fallen victim to a computer virus or hacker. A virus scan using an up-to-date antivirus program should fix the problem. If this is not possible, you can use the online scanner. The scan should cover the entire computer, not only the TNEF file that we want to open. As a result of the scan, sometimes it is not possible to recover TNEF files, which are deleted if there is a backup of this file, then after restoring it, it must also be scanned.
A typical compatibility error - the program does not support the older version of the TNEF file. Help should be sought from the software developer, as they usually recommend using free file converters or installing an older version of the program.
The file may be corrupted in a number of ways. The repair method must be adapted to the type of file and damage. Sometimes the program itself has options to repair the most popular TNEF file corruption. The easiest way is to restore the file from a backup, if there is one, or contact Microsoft
When reading, a message appears that the file was encrypted or corrupted. The encrypted file TNEF except for the special designation, works normally, but only on the device where it was encrypted, before transferring it to another machine, decryption is required.
The operating system protects files in some locations (e.g. the root of the system partition) against unauthorized access. These directories are write-protected to them and it's very hard to fix this problem. If possible, you can try to move the TNEF file to another location.
This can happen on a file that does not support multiple access. In this case, the TNEF file is blocked by the first application to open it. Closing other programs should help. Sometimes you have to wait for the session to the file TNEF to close. Antivirus programs or a backup being made may lock the file for a while without the user's knowledge. If nothing helps, please reset the device.