Open XPI file - how to open the file format

The XPI file format is a specially developed installation archive from the Mozilla Foundation. XPI stands for "Cross Platform Install" and is basically nothing more than a ZIP file. Learn here what options you have to open files in XPI format.

How to open XPI files - all info at a glance

Installation directories in XPI format are often used by Mozilla Firefox or the mail client Thunderbird to add new features or install updates. If you want to open an XPI file, you can simply change the file extension to that of a ZIP file. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open Windows Explorer and go to the directory where you saved the XPI file.
2. Right-click the file and select the "Rename" option.
3. Change the file extension from ".xpi" to ".zip".

You can then simply open the file via Explorer, since Windows can handle ZIP files without additional software. Alternatively, use archiving programs such as 7Zip or WinRAR to open files in ZIP format.

Hide file extensions - here's how

If you do not see the extensions of files, this is due to the view settings.

1. Call the Windows Explorer.
2. Click on "View" at the top of the navigation.
3. In the category "Show/Hide", activate the checkbox at the option "File name extensions".

Once you have turned on the function, the file extensions will be displayed after the file name.