Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 2: Opening IDX Files
• Method 2 of 2: Using the VideoLAN VLC media player
• Tips

IDX files are index files commonly used by Windows to speed up database searches or to speed up the selection and sorting of files in folders. IDX files are also commonly used in DVDs and movie files that contain subtitles. Most Windows and Mac computers automatically open IDX files in the original program.If your IDX file won't open on your computer, try opening it with VideoLAN VLC media player, which supports and can open most IDX files.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Opening IDX Files

1. 1 Double click on the IDX file. On Windows, the file will automatically open in Notepad, and on Mac OS X, it will open in TextEdit.
   • If the IDX file does not open, go to the next step.
2. 2 Right-click the IDX file and select "Open With ...".
   • On a Mac, select Properties, and then click Open In Program.
3. 3 Select the text editor installed on your computer. IDX files can be opened with text editors such as WordPad, Notepad, and TextEdit.
   • If the IDX file still does not open, go to the next step.
4. 4 Right-click the IDX file and select Properties.
5. 5 Review the file information to determine its origin. Sometimes an IDX file can be opened by the program in which it was created. For example, if the source of the IDX file was Microsoft Outlook Express, start Outlook Express on your computer and try opening the IDX file with it.
6. 6 Run the program that created the IDX file, and then try opening it with that program.
   • If the IDX file still does not open, follow the directions in the second method of this article to open the file with the VideoLAN VLC media player.

Method 2 of 2: Using the VideoLAN VLC media player

1. 1 Go to the official VideoLAN website by following this link: http://www.videolan.org/.
2. 2 Download the VideoLAN VLC media player by clicking on the Download VLC button.
3. 3 Double click on the installation file to start the VideoLAN installation wizard. Follow the instructions on the screen to install the player on your computer. When the installation is complete, the program will start automatically.
4. 4 Click on the "Media" option at the top of the player and select "Open." After that, the "Open file" dialog box will appear on the screen.
5. 5 Click Browse ... and then locate the IDX file you want to open.
6. 6 Select the IDX file and click on the "Open" button. The IDX file will open and display in the VideoLAN player window.

Tips

• Typically, IDX files will not open because the computer does not have a program that can determine the format of the file. The most efficient way to open an IDX file is to determine the origin of the file and open it with the program that created it.
• If you want to use a third-party program to open IDX files, try Cyberlink's PowerDVD (download link: http://www.cyberlink.com/downloads/trials/powerdvd-ultra/download_en_US.html). The app is currently a paid app, but it has a 30-day trial period, during which you can use the program to open IDX files.