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Rich file open that supports over 350 file types

Rich file open that supports over 350 file types

Vote: (81 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Download Freely

Version: 2.126

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(81 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

Download Freely

2.126

Works under:

Windows

Pros

  • Opens many types of files
  • Hex editor is included
  • Includes basic editing capabilities

Cons

  • The installer registers as malware
  • Few file management options

Open Freely is a utility designed to open and view a wide range of files all from within a single application. It is important to note that Open Freely is advertising supported freeware. Although the application itself is free and works fine, it is wrapped in a special installer. This installer registers as malware with a number of browsers and antivirus programs. The IQInstaller forces users to respond to a series of screens before Open Freely is installed. Some of these screens are deceptive and offer to install spyware or malware programs. It is important to read each screen carefully when attempting to install Open Freely since it is necessary to hit decline several times.

Open Freely has a clean and simple interface. The main tools and menus mostly contain options to load or save files. There is no need to select the file type. The application will automatically determine the type of file based on the content and the extension. Open Freely supports a wide range of file types including some binary extensions. Users can open dozens of types of image, video and audio files. It is possible to open files generated by Microsoft Office programs. The application can also open unique file types like scalable vector graphics, icons and archives.

A unique feature in Open Freely that can make it valuable for developers is the ability to open several types of binary files. This includes executable, libraries and Java class files. The application includes a hexadecimal editor for this purpose. Users can view and edit the individual bytes in nearly any type of file. The hex editor includes many different features for manipulating data. Such features include bit shifting and the ability to translate between different number bases. The inclusion of a hex editor makes Open Freely an interesting choice for anyone who needs to edit these types of files precisely.

Open Freely does a good job with nearly any type of text document. It can preserve many formatting styles. Namely, it only seems to have a problem with some advanced features and complex layouts. An added bonus is that text files can be freely edited from within the application and then saved in the same format most of the time. A drawback is that the internal text editor does not provide the same number of formatting options as the fully featured word processors used to create the document.

Open Freely does have a few options for editing media files and images as well. It is possible to resize an image, adjust the brightness and rotate images. There are blur, sepia and grayscale filters although these are the full extent of the image editing options available in the program. Open Freely is a useful program for anyone who needs to open and view a variety of file types without wanting to execute many different applications. It can even be automatically associated with specific file types so that Open Freely runs automatically when double clicking on a file.

Pros

  • Opens many types of files
  • Hex editor is included
  • Includes basic editing capabilities

Cons

  • The installer registers as malware
  • Few file management options