Open files with TFW extension quick and easy. 4 steps
It can be very frustrating when you have a TFW file and you cannot open it. But do not worry, in most cases solution to your problem is very simple. Follow the instruction in steps 1-4 listed below and you should be able to solve your problem and open the TFW file with ease.
TFW File Extension
- File type World Format For TIFF
- File developer ESRI
- File category GIS Files
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File popularity rating
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What is a(n) TFW file?
The TFW (World Format For TIFF) file format is an ASCII text file used to identify the geographic location of a raster image. It contains information about the size, orientation, resolution, and coordinates of the image in a simple text format. The file consists of six numerical values that define the world coordinate of the image along with two lines of comments. To be considered valid, each value must be separated by a single blank space.
In order to be read by GIS applications, this file must be named with the same prefix as the corresponding TIFF image with '.tfw' as a suffix. The world coordinate system of the TFW file is usually set to match the projection of the TIFF image. This way, a GIS program can combine the spatial information of the TIFF and TFW files for easy visualization and analysis.
How to open TFW file?
TFW file icon should be displayed in a manner characteristic to the program which supports such file type. If TFW file icon is of the form of generic blank page icon or similar it means that given format is not associated with any program installed on the system. Below are listed some of the most popular causes of such situation
Check the TFW file for errors
- No program that supports TFW files is installed on the system
- No program that supports TFW files is associated with this extension (system registry has no entries related to programs that should be used to open TFW files)
- The file is of unknown or unverified origin and is most probably infected. In such case user must exercise extreme caution in order not to allow the virus propagate to other files in the system (follow the instructions displayed in the dialog box in your antivirus software.
- TFW file may be incomplete, which will prevent the system from opening it (this could be the case with file downloaded from the internet or copied from other sources)
- The file is corrupted
How to solve encountered problems?
In order to solve the following problems, follow the instructions:
Step 1. Select, download and install relevant software. The list of programs supporting files with TFW extension can be found below:
Programs that can open TFW files
Step 2. Associate software supporting TFW with this file format
- Right-click on the TFW file
- Select "Open with" option
- Choose appropriate program from the list and select the location where the program is installed
- Confirm your selection by clicking on the "OK" button
Step 3. Scan the TFW file using an antivirus software
Step 4. Verify whether the file has been properly downloaded from the internet or copied from an external storage medium. If not, then re-download or copy the file again.
In 95% of cases following these steps should solve problems with TFW files. Sometimes, although rarely, the cause of encountered problems may be different.
Last resort – an IT expert
Should all the above-mentioned solutions fail to resolve problems with TFW file extensions, there is one last thing you can do – contact an IT expert. You can also try to contact one of the developers of software that supports TFW files.
