IDX files are index files which can be associated with a variety of different programs. They can also be considered a System file which can act as a search function to speed up the process of searches on your hard disk or in a database. If an IDX file is categorized as a System file, it can also serve to quickly retrieve and sort files from directories that have been indexed.
IDX files have been known to be associated with Microsoft FoxPro which is a procedural programming language for relational databases. This type of extension has also been related to ICq messaging programs, Corel QuickFinder, DVD playback programs, Outlook Express Mailbox files, historical log index files, and AOL software, to name a few associations.
One of the problems with an IDX file is when it cannot be identified with any program that it needs in order for you to open and view the contents. For this reason, the file is known for displaying error messages when the PC registry does not contain the instructions it needs to run the file.
How to Open IDX Files
Since IDX files can be associated with a broad range of different programs, you can first try double clicking on the program to see if it will automatically open in the default program. If you have the appropriate program installed, it should easily open the file for you.
If the file does not open in a default program, you can try right clicking on the file and choosing Open With from the drop-down menu. On the submenu choose a text editing program such as WordPad or Notepad or click on Browse if the text editor is not in the list. If you use Mac OS X, you can try opening the IDX file in TextEdit and for the Linux operating system you can use gEdit or Nano Editor.
If the file is associated with Outlook Express, you should be able to open it with your text editor since Outlook files are categorized as text files. This is also the case if the IDX file originates from an AOL email client.
If none of the above methods are successful in opening IDX files, you can attempt to find out what program created them. You can do this by right clicking on the file and then choosing Properties from the drop-down menu. In the Properties window you may be able to view the program that created the file. If it says Unknown, you can try clicking on Start in Windows and then choosing My Computer from the menu.
In the My Computer window click on the C Drive and then choose Tools from the main menu. Click on Folder Options from the drop-down menu and allow the list to load. Remove the check mark next to Hide Extensions for File Types and then click OK. Browse for the IDX file you are trying to open and expand the window so you can see the entire file path. The program that created the file may be listed in the path for the extension.
If the IDX file is a media file, you can use any media player program to open it. If you use Windows, you can open IDX files with CyberLink PowerDVD or VideoLAN VLC Media Player. VLC Media Player will also open IDX files in Mac OS X and the Linux operating system as well.
