Tips to open USER file

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

USER file extension

File Name Visual Studio Project User Options Format
File Developer Microsoft
File Category Settings Files

The USER file is supported on 3 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the USER files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the USER file on each system platform.

Operating systems
  • 3
  • 1
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

What is USER file?

The USER file has been categorized as Settings Files. The author of this format is Microsoft. In addition to this file, the Settings Files category includes 1305 related files. Visual Studio Project User Options 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. The Microsoft Visual Studio application is recommended to open the file. It was released by Microsoft Corporation. There are also 4 alternative programs to handle the USER file. You can use TextEdit, gedit, Windows Notepad, NotePad++ text editor in case Microsoft Visual Studio cannot be used.

How to open USER file?

The main problem with Visual Studio Project User Options Format is that the USER file is incorrectly associated with programs. This causes the file USER to open by system applications not designed for this purpose, or to display a message that there is no associated program. How to solve such a problem?

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the USER 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 Microsoft Visual Studio

In this case, you should first verify that the Microsoft Visual Studio application is installed on the computer. The easiest method is to use the system search engine by entering the program name Microsoft Visual Studio in it. If it is not, installation may solve the problem, as most applications create file associations during installation. Below you will find a list of applications that support USER files.

Step 2. Create association of Microsoft Visual Studio with USER files

If the application is or has been freshly installed, but the USER file still does not use the Microsoft Visual Studio program, it means no association. It is most convenient to call the context menu with the right mouse button and select Properties. The displayed window will contain information about the program that supports this type of file. Using the "Change" button we can select the desired program. 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 Microsoft Visual Studio application as the default for handling the USER file.

Step 3. Update Microsoft Visual Studio to the latest version

If, however, after binding Microsoft Visual Studio with Visual Studio Project User Options 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 Microsoft Corporation website and install the latest version.

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

The problem may also be with the file itself if the above steps don't work. The most common file problems are:

The affected file may be 0 KB or smaller than expected. This suggests truncating the USER file contents when downloading or copying. 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. 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 USER file. However, remember that not every infected USER 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 USER file. 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. The repair method must be adapted to the type of file and damage. Some programs offer the option of recovering data from damaged USER files. The easiest way to restore the file is from a backup or by contacting Microsoft, but this one can be expensive. Not all damage can be reversed.
The program indicates that the file is encrypted or corrupted. The encrypted file USER 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. The problem is only writing to the file, not reading it. Copying the USER 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 USER to close. However, some background programs may block the USER file while scanning. If this does not work either, restart the device.