The vcf extension is what program to open files with. How to open a vcf file on a computer

A number of users may receive an email containing an attachment file with the “vcf” extension. This file usually contains data about contacts previously exported from phone book contacts. At the same time, there are also files with the VCF extension that have nothing to do with the contact book. In this article I will tell you what this format is and how to open it VCF extension on a PC, what programs and services will help us with this, and how to work with them.

The extension "VCF" is usually an abbreviation for " Virtual Contact File"(file virtual contact). At the same time, there is also an alternative abbreviation - “vCard File” (vCard file).

This file is usually used to store contact information V digital format(surname and first name of the person, address, email, telephone and other relevant information). With its help it is convenient to exchange contacts between address books; the file can be easily attached to email, it supports pictures and other media content.

In addition, a file with the vcf extension can act as a VirtualDub editor settings file (VirtualDub Processing Settings), as a WorldToolKit Objects API configuration file (Vevi Configuration File), or as a service file FileViewPro programs, relevant file for VP HybridCAD Native Format, etc.

How to open VCF

If our file contains contact information, the following programs will help open it:

1.Windows Contacts (Windows Contacts) is a classic application for viewing Windows contacts. It works quite poorly with Cyrillic characters, so for a Russian-speaking user its use will not be entirely convenient.


2.vCardOrganizer – convenient program for working with digital cards. Allows you to create, modify and view vCards, supports displaying photos, printing cards on a printer, and so on. The program is paid, but you can try searching the Internet for its free variations.


3.Open Freely is a free viewer that can open many documents and media files (including the vcf files we need).

4.VCFtools – a set of utilities that allow you to work with vcf files, including viewing, merging, converting, and so on.

5. – free utility to view the contents of vcf files. Her main drawback– shows the data of only one contact.

6.Open Contacts – another one free tool, a program for storing contact information, allows you to open vcf files.

7.Classic Notepad can also be used as a viewer of raw vcf file data. For a Russian-speaking user, incorrect display may become a problem Cyrillic characters when viewing this way (if the contact data is typed in Cyrillic), therefore “Notepad” in in this case will not be very convenient to use.


8. - advanced text editor, allowing you to do minor edits in the contact data located in the vcf file.


9.Email client Eudora OSE, which has quite rich functionality, can also open files with the vcf extension;

Programs Microsoft Outlook and Handy Address Book can also open and view files of this format; the disadvantages include the paid nature of these products.

How to open vcf file in Outlook

To view vcf in Outlook do the following:


Contacts will be added to the “Users” section of this program.

How to transfer contacts from a vcf file to Gmail

Contacts from a vcf file can be transferred to a list Gmail contacts. To implement this, do the following:

  1. Go to the Gmail mail page;
  2. Click on the arrow next to “Gmail” (top left) and select “Contacts” there;


  • Find our vcf file and click on “Import” specified contact will be added to your contact list.

Conclusion

The programs I described above will help you play a VCF file on your computer. Most of them are free, allowing you to easily view the contents of vcf files. If you come across a file that cannot be opened correctly using listed programs, then perhaps it is a qualitatively different file type (for example, API settings WorldToolKit Objects), with which a rather specialized specialist will work.

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27.03.2017

Every year the Internet becomes more and more commercialized. And if yesterday on the Internet they mostly watched videos for adults, communicated and searched for interesting articles, then today very serious business is being done here. And for those who do this, the .VCF file format is becoming extremely familiar and common. Here we will try to figure out what it is, and most importantly, how to open files of this format.

What is the .VCF format

Officially, the format is called vCard; abroad it is more often called Versitcard. Business cards are created and saved in the .VCF format for later sharing on the web. Generally, this format much more convenient than analogues, like ordinary ones text documents or images. This is because here you can save really effective, convenient and standardized business cards. One document in vCard format can contain the user’s full name, contact information and email, various media files (in a limited quantity), and all this weighs very little. For example, a business card with purely text data weighs less than a kilobyte, which makes it suitable for sending out even using weak mobile Internet.

The general disadvantage of this format is that it is still a separate format that is not in demand among the bulk of PC users and others. computer systems. Thus, simply sending out a business card for advertising or other purposes can become difficult, because not all recipients may have software for opening .vcf files. As practice shows, in many cases users are more likely to ignore this file, rather than try to solve the question of how to open it. The only exceptions are situations when this is really necessary - for example, if the recipient definitely needs the data indicated on the business card.

How to open .VCF file

Let's say you somehow received a .VCF document, and now you need to open it. How to do this? There are many options, but here we will look at the 5 simplest and most popular.

Method 1: Microsoft Outlook

This option is the most common and simple. People who have not encountered this before may not even know that Microsoft Outlook is designed not only for viewing personal mail, but also for opening personal business cards.

Option 1: Simple

Typically, Microsoft Outlook is automatically used by the system to open vCard format files. So, if you have Microsoft Outlook enabled and configured, you should simply open the business card like any other file.

Option 2: Detailed

If the first method causes any difficulties, then you will have to resort to a more detailed option.


For working with business cards.vcf Microsoft Outlook is the most convenient application due to automatic integration into the system and opening of files by default. Also extremely user-friendly interface and high functionality. the main problem— this is the inaccessibility of the application for ordinary users

Method 2: Palm Desktop

Palm Desktop is a functional organizer that allows you to perform many of the most different tasks. Among them is the function we need to work with .VCF.

Option 1: Simple

You should minimize the program to window format and simply drag it into working window required file. Palm Desktop will simply ask you to choose which group to add to new contact, and that's it.

Option 2: Detailed

If for some reason the previous method does not work, you should use a more complex, but accurate one.


Palm Desktop is an excellent option for people who use their computer very actively for work, as it is a functional organizer. Due to its compact size and accessibility, it is perfect even for opening a business card once and then removing it.

Method 3: Mozilla Thunderbird

Mozilla Thunderbirdspecial program for working with mail from the Mozilla Foundation. Like its analogues, it also allows you to create your own address books and add .VCF files there.


Mozilla Thunderbird is great and functional manager Email. If the user uses his mail a lot, then this option may suit him. However, it is not suitable for one-time opening of business cards due to the lengthy process of importing vCard into the program.

Method 4: Handy Address Book

As the name suggests, Handy Address Book is designed to work with personal contacts. The application uses own format for records, but can import some others, including .VCF.

Option 1: Fast

You just need to click on the desired file right click, and open the file using this program. It will be on the list of priority applications for working with this type of file.

In addition, the system will offer a selection of programs to work with vCard files the first time you try to open them, you can also select this program there.

Option 2: Detailed

If the previous method is not suitable for some reason, then you should import the file manually.


The program is very convenient in case permanent job with business cards or email addresses. It is not suitable for one-time use due to the availability of simpler and more convenient analogues.

Method 5: Notepad

In the most extreme case, when there is no Internet, no opportunity, or simply no desire to install any program, you can use any text editor built into the system. For example, a basic Notepad.


This method is really simple, but the business card will not display correctly. For example, this will not allow you to use attached media files. And the marking of categories is also unclear. But this will still allow you to get certain data from here - for example, website address, phone number, and so on.

Don't forget that there are other programs for working with .VCF files. Here we talked only about some of the most commonly used ones. Everyone chooses the one that suits him specifically, and if he can find a more convenient and interesting option, you can report this in the comments so that other users can also see alternative methods.

When buying a new phone or flashing an old one, we are recommended to create a backup copy of contacts from the phone book so as not to lose important information and do not waste time entering numbers manually. After creating a copy and saving it on the computer, we need to open the .vcf file to view the contact's phone number. But how to do this and using what program? We will consider the answer to these questions below.

How to open a .vcf file?

The extension file.vcf is a subscriber’s business card that stores information about the contact (name, phone, email, personal website and links to pages in in social networks). They can open it standard means any mobile operating system. But in Windows there are some nuances.

Windows Address Book

Standard method that does not require installation of additional software. Right-click on the .vcf file and select “Open with” – “Windows Contacts”.

Attention! The built-in Windows Contacts program does not recognize the Cyrillic alphabet! If the numbers from your address book were signed in Russian, Ukrainian or Belarusian languages– they will not be displayed correctly!

Microsoft Outlook

If you have the package pre-installed on your machine Microsoft Office, you can open “contacts.vcf” using MS Outlook. To do this, drag the .vcf file onto the program's working window and follow the instructions. After viewing the contact details of business cards, they will be saved in the address book of the email client.

Nokia Suite

An epoch-making application from Nokia, in which the creation backup copy Contacts and their restoration are a small part of the entire functionality. The application will allow you to view contact data and restore it on your mobile device (if it is manufactured by Nokia Corporation).

Notepad++

A multifunctional text editor that supports multiple encodings and guarantees correct display information. The application cannot export data to mobile devices, but allows you to edit a contact: add, delete and edit information.

Google's Gmail

To view contacts in .vcf format, you can use Google services.

  1. Create an account or sign in to Gmail.
  2. Click on the drop-down list and click the “Contacts” button.

  3. In the “More” tab, click “Import” – “Import from a CSV or vCard file.”

  4. Confirm the transition to previous version contacts.

  5. In the window that appears, click “More” – “Import”.

CSV format stores text data that is separated by commas or semicolons. VCARD is a business card file and has the extension VCF. It is commonly used to forward contacts between phone users. A CSV file is obtained when exporting information from memory mobile device. In light of the above, converting CSV to VCARD is an urgent task.

Method 1: CSV to VCARD

CSV to VCARD is a one-window application that was created specifically for converting CSV to VCARD.

Method 2: Microsoft Outlook

Is a popular email client that supports CSV formats and VCARD.

  1. Open Outlook and go to the menu "File". Here we click on "Open and Export", and then on "Import and Export".
  2. As a result, a window opens "Master of Import and Export", in which we select the item "Import from another program or file" and click "Further".
  3. In field "Select a file type to import" indicate the required item "Comma Separated Values" and click "Further".
  4. Then click on the button "Review" to open the original CSV file.
  5. As a result, it opens "Conductor", in which we move to the desired directory, select the object and click "OK".
  6. The file is added to the import window, where specific line the path to it is displayed. Here you still need to define the rules for working with duplicate contacts. There are only three options available when a similar contact is detected. In the first it will be replaced, in the second a copy will be created, and in the third it will be ignored. Leave the recommended value "Allow creation of duplicates" and click "Further".
  7. Select a folder "Contacts" in Outlook, where the imported data should be saved, then click on "Further".
  8. It is also possible to set the fields to match by clicking the button of the same name. This will help avoid data inconsistencies when importing. Confirm the import by checking the box "Import…" and press "Ready".
  9. The source file is imported into the application. In order to see all contacts, you need to click on the people icon at the bottom of the interface.
  10. Unfortunately, Outlook only allows you to save one contact at a time in vCard format. At the same time, you also need to remember that by default the contact that is previously selected is saved. After that we go to the menu "File", where we click "Save as".
  11. The browser starts, in which we move to the desired directory, if necessary, enter a new name for the business card and click "Save".
  12. This completes the conversion process. The converted file can be accessed using "Conductor" Windows.

Thus, we can conclude that both programs considered cope with the task of converting CSV to VCARD. At the same time, the most convenient procedure is implemented in CSV to VCARD, the interface of which is simple and intuitive, despite English language. Microsoft Outlook provides broader functionality for processing and importing CSV files, but saving to the VCARD format is carried out only for one contact.

We decided to look into the question of how to open VCF. In this material we will try to talk in detail about why this format was created, what its functions are, and also, using examples, we will look at programs that will allow you to work with this extension.

Definition

Next we will look at how to open a VCF file, but we should start by finding out what this format is. VCF is an acronym for vCard File. This format is used to store personal contact information. Such material most often contains email, fax, phone numbers, address and full name specific user. It may also contain Additional Information. This type of file can be attached to an email, allowing the recipient to use it to import information into their own contact database.

View

If we talk directly about how to open VCF, we will be helped here first of all email clients, including Outlook and Eudora OSE. It should be noted that MS Outlook is not distributed separately, therefore, to install it, you need to download the Microsoft Office software package and specify in it necessary components. A client called Mozilla Thunderbird also provides the answer to the question of how to open VCF, but you will have to install add-ons for it. To view contacts from VCF, as well as add them to the database, you can use free application called Open Contacts, it is a convenient address book. Import allows you to add contacts received from vCard. You should know that you can view files of the specified type using the traditional one, but in this case, the information will be displayed with the system formatting code.

Alternative options

In addition to those described above popular programs, you can open a VCF file on your computer using lesser-known tools or unconventional methods, which are also worth saying a few words about. For example, if you are the owner Nokia phone, you can work with the file you are interested in using the complete software PC Suite. It's about about the program, which is designed for convenient synchronization mobile phone with a personal computer. However, the leader can be called the vCardOrganizer application. Actually it's small program With simple interface. It allows you to easily create electronic type in the format we are interested in. You can also share and edit maps.

Such files are very convenient for placement on your own commercial websites. One product, vCardOrganizer, combines a manager and a tool for creating business cards. Using the tool, you can replace a photo, add a logo, or add new contacts to the card by editing them. At the same time, the program allows you to simultaneously store an unlimited number of business cards in your list. By the way, the Eudora program is also capable of working with the format, the main task of which is to facilitate user interaction personal computer With by email. Now you know how to open VCF. The choice is yours.