Files with the file extension MIM are associated with MIME email files, which are a communication format used when attachments are included in an email message. The format is a standard for message encoding used by email applications which use an 8-bit data format to support file attachments as opposed to the standard 7-bit ASCII email message.
MIME stands for Multi-Purpose Internet Mail Extension files, and the file extension MIM is merely an abbreviation for the MIME format. MIM files are a standard container file which is used for transmitting email attachments over the Internet. The files contain various data, images, and other components which are typically included in an email attachment.
MIM files allow email attachments to be transmitted over the Internet faster and easier. When they are received in the recipient’s email inbox, the email application which is used by the recipient decodes the MIME format so the attachment can be opened and viewed in the email client. If the recipient’s email client does not support MIM files, the files are in a compressed format, which leaves other options for opening the email attachment.
How to Open MIM Files
In most cases MIM files are automatically opened using your email client which is designed to read the MIME format. In Windows the typical email clients which can open MIM files are Microsoft Outlook 2010 or Outlook Express if you happen to have an earlier version of Internet Explorer. You can also use Mozilla Thunderbird to open MIM files in Windows.
For Mac OS X, MIM files can be opened using Apple Mail, Microsoft Outlook 2011 or Mozilla Thunderbird.
In the Linux operating system, MIM files can be opened using KMail, which is an email client that is part of the KDE personal information manager. KMail supports OpenPGP, MIME, and S/MIME email formats and is available as a free download from the KDE website.
If you have an email client that does not support MIME format, MIM files can be opened using a decompression utility program since the files are typically in a compressed format. If you use Windows, you can open and extract the contents of a MIM file using WinZip, Corel WinZip 16 Pro, or Smith Micro Stuffit Deluxe 2010. For Mac OS X, you should use Smith Micro Stuffit Deluxe 2011 to open and extract the contents of MIM files.
MIM files are also known to become damaged or corrupt during the transmission process. In this case you can use MIM file repair software, which is available as a download from websites such as CNET and Softpedia.
