BinHex archive file
File type: Archive and compressed file
A BNHQ file is a BinHex-encoded archive associated with BinHex for Mac.
It belongs to BinHex 4.0, which encodes Macintosh files for storage or transfer.
File type category:
Archive and compressed file
Date updated: September 27, 2026
BinHex is a legacy encoding format for Macintosh files. A BNHQ file stores encoded file data and Macintosh resource information in an archive that can be decoded by compatible BinHex software.
The BNHQ file extension is associated with some versions of BinHex for Mac. The more commonly used suffix for this format is the HQX file extension.
BinHex 4.0 is available for Apple macOS and Mac OS X. The format is uncommon today, but may still be encountered in older Macintosh software archives and files transferred from older Mac systems.
Open the BNHQ file with BinHex 4.0 on Apple macOS or Mac OS X. The program should decode the archive and restore the Macintosh file it contains.
If BinHex 4.0 does not recognize the file, verify that it is a BinHex archive. Some software may recognize it after the file is renamed with the commonly used .hqx suffix; renaming does not change the file's contents.
Use BinHex 4.0 to decode the BNHQ file and extract the original Macintosh file. This is normally the useful form of conversion, rather than converting the archive directly to another archive format.
After decoding, the restored file can be saved or archived in a current format using appropriate software. Renaming a BNHQ file to .hqx only changes its name and is not a conversion.
Software applications that can open bnhq files:
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
BinHex 4.0
Software apps that create bnhq files:
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
BinHex 4.0
Software apps that extract bnhq files:
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
BinHex 4.0
Software applications that handle other tasks involving bnhq files:
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
BinHex 4.0
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