What is a .INI file?
An .INI file is a simple type of file that helps Windows programs start up and run the way they're supposed to. Think of it as a list of instructions that tells the program how to behave, like what language to use or where to save files. Inside the .INI file, there are different sections marked by titles in square brackets. Each section has instructions made up of a name and a value.
You can open and look at an .INI file using several programs. Some of these programs include: - File Viewer Plus, which you can download from the Microsoft store. - Microsoft Windows comes with Notepad and WordPad, both of which can open .INI files. - If you're using a Mac but have Windows installed through Parallels Desktop, you can also open .INI files. - On Android devices, there's an app called File Viewer for Android that can open these files.
Even though you can open .INI files with a basic text editor like Notepad, it's usually best not to change anything in them unless you really know what you're doing. Changing the wrong thing could make the program stop working right.
Back in the day, before Windows 95, .INI files were used a lot. But then, Windows started using something called the registry to do the same job. And nowadays, many programs use XML files instead of .INI files for their settings. But you'll still see .INI files being used by some programs.
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