CAB file format description

Many people share .cab files without attaching instructions on how to use it. Yet it isn’t evident for everyone which program a .cab file can be edited, converted or printed with. On this page, we try to provide assistance for handling .cab files.

1 filename extension(s) found in our database.

.cab - Microsoft Cabinet File

The CAB archive files are related to Expand. The CAB file is a Microsoft Cabinet File. CAB is the Microsoft Windows native compressed archive format. Cabinet files are used to organize installation files that are copied to the user's system. A large compressed file can be spread over several .cab files.

Application:

Expand

Category:

Archive files

Mime-type:

application/octet-stream

Magic:

- / -

Aliases:

Microsoft Cabinet File related extensions:

.bm_: Compressed Microsoft BMP Image
.ca_: Compressed Microsoft Cabinet File
.ch_: Compressed CHM File
.cn_: Compressed Windows Help Content
.co_: Compressed COM File
.cp_: Compressed CPL File

Naturally, other applications may also use the .cab file extension. Even harmful programs can create .cab files. Be especially cautious with .cab files coming from an unknown source!

Can't open a .cab file?

When you double-click a file to open it, Windows examines the filename extension. If Windows recognizes the filename extension, it opens the file in the program that is associated with that filename extension. When Windows does not recognize a filename extension, you receive the following message:

Windows can't open this file:

example.cab

To open this file, Windows needs to know what program you want to use to open it. Windows can go online to look it up automatically, or you can manually select one from a list of programs that are installed on your computer.

To avoid this error, you need to set the file association correctly.

Open Control Panel > Control Panel Home > Default Programs > Set Associations.
Select a file type in the list and click Change Program.

The .cab file extension is often given incorrectly!

According to the searches on our site, these misspellings were the most common in the past year:

ab, acb, ca, caf, cag, cah, can, cav, cb, cba, cwb, cxb, dab, fab, sab

Is it possible that the filename extension is misspelled?

Similar file extensions in our database:

.caf: Core Audio Format
.fab: Fab@Home Fabber Model
.ab: Applix Builder Data
.cwb: Cakewalk Sonar Bundle
.caf: Amazon Lumberyard Character Animation Data
.cba: ACE Compressed Comic Book

Operating systems

DataTypes.net currently supports the following operating systems:

Windows XP/Vista, Windows 7/8/10, Windows 11, CentOS, Debian GNU/Linux, Ubuntu Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, Mac OS X, iOS, Android

If you find the information on this page useful, please feel free to link to this page.

https://datatypes.net/open-cab-files

If you have useful information about the .cab file format, then write to us!