AFI File (What It Is & How to Open One)

This article explains two formats that use AFI files and how to open and convert both kinds.

What Is an AFI File?

A file with the AFI file extension is a backup created by AOMEI Backupper. It holds folders and files that have been backed up through that software. If the program made a backup of a hard drive, it uses the ADI file extension instead.

Other AFI files are Truevision bitmap graphic files. You'll know this is the case if the file is small and you suspect it's an image of some kind.

How to Open an AFI File

As long as the file isn't an image, it's probably only useful within the context of AOMEI Backupper Standard or AOMEI Backupper Professional. Installing one of those programs is necessary if you want to restore the backed up data contained within the AFI file.

If double-clicking the file automatically opens the AOMEI software, press Next when you see that screen, and then select Save As to choose where to save the files.

Otherwise, open the program yourself and follow these steps from the beginning:

1. Open the Restore tab and choose Select Image File from the right.

   This file might be protected behind a password, in which case you'll have to provide it before you can start restoring the files.

2. Browse for the AFI file, select it, and then choose Open.
   

3. Put a check in the box next to each item you want to restore. If you choose the root folder at the very top, you'll select everything at once.

   Select Next.

4. Choose where to save the contents. You can pick the same folder the original files were located in when they were backed up, or you can restore the data to a new location.

5. Finally, select Start Restore to begin the process of copying files out of the AFI backup.

IvanView can open AFI files that are ​graphics files, but the program is only free if you get the trial version, and we don't have a download link for it.

Still Can't Open It?

If you can't open your file, make sure you're reading the extension correctly. Some files share a couple of the same letters as AFI files but don't open the same way, like AVI, AIFF, AIF, AIFC, AIT, and AIR files.

Double-check the suffix at the end of your file. If it ends with one of those extensions, follow the link to learn more about the format and how to open the file. If your file isn't in any of these formats, research the file extension so that you can find the program that's responsible for opening it.

How to Convert an AFI File

AFI files that are used exclusively with AOMEI Backupper don't need to be converted to any other format. Trying to convert one may actually corrupt the file and make you lose all your backed up data.

That said, you can definitely convert the files inside the AFI file, but you'll need to restore the backup first by following the steps above. For example, after extracting some images or videos from the backup, run those files through a file converter tool to convert them to different formats.

If your AFI file is an image, use Ivan Image Converter to convert it to image formats that are more recognizable, like PNG, BMP, JPG, etc.