There are many interesting and useful applications for the Android operating system. Often these applications are of interest to users who do not have an Android smartphone. Fortunately, this problem can be solved without purchasing a new device. Instead, you can simply open the APK file on your computer and use the application you need.
There are many different programs available to run APK files on your computer. We have already described some of them in the article “”. But most of these programs are too heavy and complex. Therefore, you don’t want to install them for the sake of one APK file. In this article, we will offer you an easier way to open APK files on a computer running Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 10.
So, in order to open an APK file on a computer, we need the NOX APP PLAYER program. This program is free, and you can simply download it from the official website of the developer (). The installation process of NOX APP PLAYER is extremely simple. Run the installation EXE file and follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
After the installation is complete, the Android operating system will begin loading. This will take about another 20-30 seconds. After which you will see the desktop.
The first thing you need to do is go to the NOX APP PLAYER settings and enable ROOT. To do this, click on the gear-shaped button, which is located in the upper right corner of the program.
After that, set the ROOT function to On and save the settings using the button at the bottom of the screen.
Once ROOT is enabled, you can open the APK file. To do this, click on the APK download button, which is located on the right side of the NOX APP PLAYER program window.
After this, the program will inform you that APK files can be opened by simply dragging and dropping. But it’s not clear how this function works, so click on the “I know” button to continue.
After this, the usual window for selecting a file will open. Here you just need to select the APK file that you want to open on your computer.
After this, the installation of the APK file in the NOX APP PLAYER program will begin. After installation is complete, the application will launch automatically, and an icon will appear on the Android desktop to launch this application manually. Please note that sometimes the application refuses to start the first time. In this case, you just need to open it again and it will work.
If in order to interact with an open application you need to simulate any functions of an Android smartphone, then for this there is a toolbar on the right side of the program window.
It should be noted that you can also literally open an APK file. To do this, right-click on the APK file and select “Open with – Other application”.
After this, a window will open to select an application. Here you need to select any archiver (for example, 7-zip) and click on the “Ok” button.
After this, you will see the entire contents of the APK file that you opened.
If necessary, you can extract any data from the APK file.
ARC is an extension that characterizes five types of archive files. Therefore, first you need to understand exactly what format you are faced with in order to understand how to open it:
Files generated by software plugins. Their main purpose is to be able to restore data in the event of a system-irreparable error. As a rule, such archives are heavy;
Backups for smartphones based on Symbian OS. These ARC files are usually called Backup or Messages. Used to restore system information;
The next archive format is called Compressed File Archive, used on the Macintosh Hierarchical File System platform. The archiver for opening ARC of this type of file is MS-DOS;
One of the most popular archives with the .arc extension is the Nintendo Archive File, which is created by gaming programs like Nintendo. Typically contains user settings;
The latest type of archival standard was developed by Activision. African Safari Data Files contain graphics data, music content and text files, and are located on game discs.
How to open a file in .arc format?
As you understand, to understand how to open an ARC file, you need to take into account the category and scope of the archive. There are many applications that are suitable for different types of formats. For archives based on the Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems, there is a universal archiver - WindowsZIP.
As for files with the .arc extension for Symbian, Nokisoft Noki is an excellent utility for them. Archives generated by plugins are opened using FreeArc. An extension developer kit called African Safari is designed for African Safari Data File.
It is worth adding that the structure of such archives is individual, so converting this standard to another format rarely brings results. Moreover, there is a possibility of file corruption.
Since most archive formats of the specified extension work on Windows, Macintosh and MS-DOS, we will consider a universal utility for the corresponding standard.
WindowsZIP archiver for opening ARC files
Thus, there are many programs for working with ARC files, but not every one is suitable in a particular case. If you are faced with an archive designed to recover a system error, WindowsZIP will most likely come in handy. It is worth adding that in most cases the specified standard is generated independently by the system without user intervention. If you don’t know how to open ARC using our application, just click on it, and then you can view the contents.
It is worth adding that the utility is distributed free of charge; you do not have to buy a license to use all the functionality available to users. The application is updated autonomously and is lightweight.
Updated: 11/24/2019
How to open an APK file?
The inability to open files with the APK extension can have various origins. Fortunately, the most common problems with APK files can be solved without deep IT knowledge, and most importantly, in a matter of minutes. The list below will guide you through the process of resolving your issue.
Step 1. Get Google Android SDK
The most common reason for such problems is the lack of proper applications that support APK files installed on the system. This one is lightweight. Select Google Android SDK or one of the recommended programs (e.g. WinZip, 7-Zip, WinRAR) and download it from the appropriate source and install it on your system. A complete list of programs grouped by operating system can be found above. The safest way to download Google Android SDK is installed - to do this, go to the developer's website (Google Inc.) and download the software using the links provided.
Step 2: Update Google Android SDK to the latest version
If you already have it installed Google Android SDK on your systems and APK files are still not opening properly, please check if you have the latest version of the software. Software developers can implement support for more modern file formats in updated versions of their products. The reason why Google Android SDK cannot handle APK files could be because the software is outdated. The latest version of the Google Android SDK is backwards compatible and can work with file formats supported by older versions of the software.
Step 3: Link Google Android Package Format files with Google Android SDK
If you have the latest version of Google Android SDK installed and the problem persists, select it as the default program to use to manage APKs on your device. The method is quite simple and varies little across different operating systems.
Windows
- Right-clicking on the APK will open a menu from which you must select the option To open with
- Next, select the option Select another application and then use More apps to open the list of available apps.
- To end the process, select Find another app on this... and use File Explorer to select the Google Android SDK folder. Confirm Always use this app to open APK files and clicking the OK button.
Select your first choice app MacOS
- Right-click on the APK file and select Info.
- Go to section To open with. If it's closed, click the title to access the available options.
- Select Google Android SDK and click Edit for everyone...
- Finally this the change will be applied to all files with the APK extension a message should appear. Click the Forward button to confirm your selection.
Step 4: Check APK for errors
Have you carefully followed the steps listed in points 1-3, but the problem is still present? You must check if the file is the correct APK file. Lack of access to a file can be due to various problems.
1. The APK may be infected with malware - be sure to check it with an antivirus.
If the APK is indeed infected, malware may be blocking it from opening. Scan the APK file and your computer for malware or viruses. If the scanner detects that the APK file is unsafe, follow your antivirus program's instructions to neutralize the threat.
2. Make sure the APK file is complete and free of errors
Did you receive an APK file from someone else? Ask him/her to send again. While copying a file, errors may occur that make the file incomplete or corrupt. This could be the source of problems with the file. This may happen if the boot process file with APK extension was interrupted and the file data was corrupted. Download the file again from the same source.
3. Check if your account has administrative rights
Sometimes a user needs administrator rights to access files. Log in using an administrator account and see if that solves the problem.
4. Make sure your system has enough resources to run the Google Android SDK
Operating systems may have enough free resources to run an application that supports APK files. Close all running programs and try opening the APK file.
5. Make sure your operating system and drivers are up to date
Regularly updated system, drivers and programs ensure the security of your computer. This can also prevent problems with Google Android Package Format files. It is possible that one of the available system or driver updates may resolve issues with APK files affecting older versions of this software.
Almost every user of smartphones and other Android gadgets has heard of APK files. This article is intended to help you understand what these files are and how to use them.
APK (Android Package Kit) is a file format consisting of complete archived codes of Android applications. These components are packaged into one installation file - this is the APK. One such file is usually enough to install an entire and working application.
Contrary to the name, the APK is not only supported on Android. A number of applications on Windows, Mac and Linux systems also allow you to open such archives and extract individual code files from them.
Why are APK files needed?
These files are necessary for quickly installing various applications on Android devices. APKs can also be valuable for developers to study - archives are opened through archivers and special programs on computers. They allow developers to “take out” individual parts of the application code from the archive, view them, edit and debug them.
When you launch an APK application, all components included in the archive, such as the application code itself (.DEX), resources, libraries, manifest file and assets, are systematically unpacked one by one. When opening an APK with archivers or special applications, all these files are available for extraction separately.
Where can I get the APK?
The most extensive source of APK files is the Google Play market, which is installed by default on every Android device. But the site does not allow you to download them separately, but installs them immediately. When downloading applications through Google Play, the APK is automatically unzipped, and the user does not need to search for this file on the device and launch it.
To obtain a file in APK format directly, you can use special resources and sources of APK applications on the Internet. In this case, there is no guarantee that the device will not be damaged when installing applications from such sources. To download and install the APK, you need to use trusted resources, for example, w3bsit3-dns.com or Trashbox.
How to install APK file on Android?
To install an APK file application through the Google Play site, simply enter the name of the required application in the search bar, go to its page, click the “install” button, give the application the necessary permissions and wait for it to download.
Installing APK applications through third-party resources requires more time, effort, and sometimes nerves. First, find the desired application through the search engine in the browser - this is the hardest part, since it is important to carefully select the source of downloading the APK file. After going to the download source, you need to download the APK itself (the process may vary on different resources).
Once the download is complete, go to the folder with the downloaded files, open the APK, click the “accept” button and wait for the installation to complete. Remember that this method of installing applications can lead to infection of your smartphone.
How to check APK for viruses?
There are many resources that allow you to check your APK for virus content, such as HackApp, VirusTotal or NVISO. If you are concerned about device security when installing applications from third-party sources, we recommend reading.
You can encounter an APK extension file, for example, if you decide to install an application on your computer that you used on your tablet. After downloading a file from the Internet, the time will come to think about how to open the apk file on your computer?
What is a fileAPKand its purpose
APK (abbreviation for Android Package) is a format of archived application files for Android. Any application written for Android, after compilation, is packaged into one file of this extension. The file name can be anything, but the extension must be .APK.
Encryption is not used when storing data in the archive of this type.
Thus, each .apk file is an archive that can be executed by DalvikVM (virtual machine) and can be installed not only on Android OS.
APK files are stored in the system in the /data/app directory, which is accessible only through Explorer.
To develop your own applications, you can use Google's Android SDK, a development environment.
You can download files of this extension either from where they are stored, or on third-party resources on the Internet (which is undesirable). Once downloaded, you can manually install the application contained in the apk file on your tablet or smartphone. It is not recommended to install applications from unknown sources - they may contain malicious code, while all applications available through Google Play are tested and signed. The procedure for installing the Android APK application on a tablet or smartphone via USB is described below:
- You need to copy the .APK file to the device in any convenient way (via USB, transfer via Wi-Fi, etc.);
- Using the file manager, go to the directory where the application was saved;
- Open the selected apk file.
A number of manufacturers disable the ability to install applications from unknown sources. If you need to enable this feature, go to Settings. Select the “Security” section, check the “Allow installation of applications not obtained from the Market” option.
Video tutorial on APK file format
View file contentsAPK
Wondering which program to open an apk file to see what's inside?
Since .APK files use compression algorithms similar to ZIP, the contents of such archives can be obtained using almost any archiver - .
To view the contents of a file using one of the specified archivers, you need to change the APK extension to ZIP.
File installationAPKon computer
Are you wondering how to open an apk file on your computer? Below is a list that will help you with the installation - it will show you how to open the arc file under any required operating system.
So, how to open APK files under different platforms:
Where else can you encounter files?APK?
Files of this extension can be used by other applications and services discussed below.
- As a file for the GameSpy arcade game service. This extension is used in a shareware MMO game. The utility, which allows players to find available multiplayer games, connect to them, and communicate between players, uses APK extension files that store service data.
- Storage of Active Tutor projects - an environment that provides tools for multimedia development (Creator - 4C Soft Inc.).
- Activity data storage. APK files are also used in the train simulation game (Microsoft Train Simulator), released back in 2001.
So, we looked at the APK file format - what is it used for, what program to open the arc file, where else can you use files of this extension. We hope the information will be useful to readers.
