.WIN File Extension
FoxPro Window Settings
| Developer | Microsoft |
| Popularity |
3.3 | 67 Votes |
What is a WIN file?
A WIN file is a window settings file used by older versions of Microsoft FoxPro, a discontinued Windows database management system. It contains window definitions and settings referenced by the software to preserve the position, size, and state of windows within the FoxPro environment. WIN files help maintain a consistent workspace configuration across sessions.
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Fox Software initially developed FoxPro in the 1980s, and Microsoft later acquired the software in 1992. It started as a database management system (DBMS), then evolved into a programming language, and was widely used for building database applications, especially in the 1990s, running in a command-line environment.
FoxPro users could back up window layouts as WIN files with the SAVE WINDOW command. They could then reload window settings saved in a WIN file with the RESTORE WINDOW command.
NOTE: Microsoft eventually replaced FoxPro with Visual FoxPro (VFP) in the 1990s and then discontinued the software in 2007.
How to open a WIN file
You can open WIN files with older versions of Microsoft FoxPro, which is no longer developed. To open a WIN file with FoxPro, type the RESTORE WINDOW command.
Programs that open WIN files
Windows Backup File
| Developer | Microsoft |
| Popularity |
3.3 | 33 Votes |
A WIN file may also be a backup of essential Windows system files created by older versions of Microsoft Windows. It acts as a safeguard, allowing users to restore system files if they are accidentally deleted or become corrupted. WIN files are part of the system restore function on older Windows versions, and the format is largely considered obsolete due to advancements in backup technologies.
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The Windows Restore program on older versions of Windows referenced WIN files to revert systems to previous states after system malfunctions or updates. Users typically did not manually interact with WIN files, as the Windows OS managed them automatically.
NOTE: With the progression of cloud-based and more sophisticated backup systems, such as those involving the .BAK and .VHD extensions, the use of standalone WIN files has diminished.
How to open a WIN file
You can open a WIN file using the Microsoft Windows Backup and Restore utility included with older versions of Windows operating systems. To do this, access the Control Panel, navigate to System and Security, and select Backup and Restore.
Programs that open or reference WIN files
GameMaker Studio Game Asset Package
| Developer | YoYo Games |
| Popularity |
3.8 | 13 Votes |
A WIN file may also be an asset package created by GameMaker Studio, a cross-platform game engine. It is distributed with a game developed by GameMaker Studio and contains all the assets for the game, which include code, scripts, sounds, sprites, fonts, shaders, and textures.
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The WIN file type is one of several asset package types that a game developer may choose from to accompany the distribution of his game. The package format is designed to protect assets from being modified by users looking to alter gameplay.
Users playing games that utilize the WIN file type can find the WIN file in the same directory as the .EXE game file. Examples of games developed by GameMaker Studio that utilize the WIN file include Rivals of Aether, IMSCARED, Deltarune, and Undertale.
WIN files are not meant to be opened by a user. They are meant to be referenced by the games for which they contain assets. However, users who enjoy modifying gameplay can open WIN files for the Undertale and Deltarune games (and possibly other GameMaker Studio games) with UndertaleModTool.
NOTE: Users should not modify games that they are legally restricted from modifying.
Common WIN Filenames
data.win - Default filename of a WIN file packaged with a game created by GameMaker Studio.
Programs that open or reference WIN files
TWRP Backup
| Developer | Team Win |
| Popularity |
3.7 | 7 Votes |
A WIN file may also be a backup file created by Team Win TWRP, a third-party backup and recovery program for Android devices. It contains a copy of some or all of the files stored on a user's Android phone (or other device). WIN files can be used only on the device that created them.
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Team Win TWRP is an unofficial custom recovery application for Android. It allows users to back up their Android device's entire file system, as well as subsets of that system. TWRP backups are saved as WIN files.
To create a backup, users select the Backup button that appears in TWRP's main menu. Users can then export the WIN backup TWRP creates to an external hard drive, to keep the backup separate from their Android device.
How to open a WIN file
You can use a WIN file to restore the backed-up files or file system it contains. To do so, transfer your WIN file to the Android device that created it. Then, open Team Win TWRP and select the Restore button. From there, follow TWRP's prompts to restore your backed-up files.