Files with hqx extension are archives in Macintosh BinHex archive format. Used mainly in previous versions of Mac OS operating system.

Detailed description

Software that open hqx file

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HQX file extension - Macintosh BinHex archive

What is hqx file? How to open hqx files?

File type specification:

Archive and compressed file type icon Archive and compressed file type

hqx file icon: hqx filetype icon

File extension hqx is associated with the Macintosh BinHex archive format that was used in previous versions of MAC OS operating systems.

BinHex is short for "binary-to-hexadecimal" and was once a common format to convert a file from binary form to an ASCII text file (8-bit binary format to 7-bit ASCII text format). Binary file converted to ASCII format take up more space, but are less likely to be corrupted when it transferred between systems. BinHex was very popular to transfer binary data as a text attachment via e-mail.

BinHex format was very popular on Mac OS 9 operating system and earlier because it combines data and resource forks of a file and preserves them during transfer.

BinHex format uses compression function of the RLE type, to avoid sending repetitive sequences of identical characters.

hqx MIME types: 
application/binhex
application/mac-binhex
application/mac-binhex40
application/octet-stream
application/x-gzip
application/x-stuffit
application/x-tar
application/x-winzip
application/x-zip-compressed

The default software associated to open hqx file:

MacDisk for Windows picture or screenshot

MacDisk for Windows  Microsoft Windows software

Company or developer:
Logiciels & Services Duhem

MacDisk is an utility for reading, writing and formatting Apple Macintosh magnetic media on an IBM compatible PC, without any hardware modification of the computer and without any add-on.

BinHex 4.0 icon

BinHex 4.0  Apple macOS / Mac OS X software

Company or developer:
Yves Lempereur

BinHex is short for binary-to-hexadecimal, system used to encoding binary files sent via e-mail on Apple Mac. It is obsolete file format.

Help how to open:

HQX format is supported by numerous compression tools, such as WinZip or Stuffit.

How to convert:

Easiest way how to convert *.hqx files is to decompress it with supported program and compress to another archive format.

Find conversions from hqx file:

hqx to bnhq

hqx to cat

hqx to hfs

hqx to zip

File identification strings:

HEX code: 28 54 68 69 73 20 66 69 6C 65 20 6D 75 73 74 20 62
ASCII code: (This file must be converted with Binhex 4.0)

List of software applications associated to the .hqx file extension

Recommended software programs are sorted by OS platform (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android etc.)
and possible program actions that can be done with the file: like open hqx file, edit hqx file, convert hqx file, view hqx file, play hqx file etc. (if exist software for corresponding action in File-Extensions.org's database).

Hint:
Click on the tab below to simply browse between the application actions, to quickly get a list of recommended software, which is able to perform the specified software action, such as opening, editing or converting hqx files.

Software that open hqx file - Macintosh BinHex archive

Programs supporting the exension hqx on the main platforms Windows, Mac, Linux or mobile. Click on the link to get more information about listed programs for open hqx file action.

Microsoft Windows:

Main software associated with hqx file by default:
MacDisk for Windows
Other suggested software:
WinZip small icon WinZip
StuffIt Deluxe small icon StuffIt Deluxe
MacImage
Stuffit small icon Stuffit

Apple macOS / Mac OS X:

Main software associated with hqx file by default:
BinHex 4.0 small icon BinHex 4.0
Other suggested software:
StuffIt Expander for Mac small icon StuffIt Expander for Mac
StuffIt Deluxe for Mac small icon StuffIt Deluxe for Mac
StuffIt for Mac small icon StuffIt for Mac
WinZip Mac Edition small icon WinZip Mac Edition

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