What are the different file formats used for downloadable Mac files?

Mac Download File Formats:

.HQX – BinHex format. “.hqx” files are the most reliable way of encoding files for transfer across the internet, including different server types such as UNIX. BinHex files are also larger than other formats, though, and not always the best choice for extremely large files.

.SIT – Stuffit format. “.sit” files are the most compressed files created by Stuffit. These files require Stuffit Expander to open.

.SEA – Self Extracting Archive. Stuffit self-extracting archives for Mac OS will self-extract on any Macintosh running OS 7.1.1 or later simply by clicking on them or dragging them onto the Expander icon.

.BIN – “Bin” files are in MacBinary format. These Macintosh files are smaller than BinHex files and require Stuffit Expander v5.1 or higher to open.

.SMI – Self Mounting Image. “.smi” files consist of a self-mounting Disk Copy compressed image (.smi) file. Download this software to your hard drive and then double-click it to use it. You do not need Disk Copy to access .smi files.

There are other programs that may open some of these formats, such as HQXing for BinHex (.hqx) files and MindExpander for a number of different formats. Search www.versiontracker.com under BinHex or MacBinary to find out more about these programs and to download freeware, shareware or commercial versions.

Mac downloads (.bin, .hqx, .sea, .sit) require Stuffit Expander or other decoding utility. Newer Mac downloads require Stuffit Expander version 5.1.2 or higher. You can download Aladdin Stuffit Expander for Mac. Stuffit Expander is free and the latest version opens just about everything. Some previous versions of Stuffit Expander also require Aladdin’s DropStuff with Expander Enhancer to open some files, but version 6 will open all of these formats listed on the Aladdin website.

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