What is a PSW file?
A .PSW file usually represents a Windows Password Reset Disk File created by Microsoft. The Windows operating system uses this file to recover a forgotten user account password. However, the .PSW extension has multiple possible meanings. It can also represent a Pocket Word Document created on older Windows CE mobile devices, or an encrypted password database from Password Depot.
How to open PSW files?
Because a .PSW file can be different things, it is important to know its real format. viewer.online/psw analyzes .PSW files to identify their exact format and creator software, shows which programs can open the file, and usually previews it. If your file is a password reset disk, you use it directly on the Windows login screen. If it is a Pocket Word document, older versions of Microsoft Word or a file converter can read the text.
Software and tools
For password resets, the built-in Windows User Accounts tool manages the .PSW file. For password databases, you must use the Password Depot application from AceBIT to decrypt your records. Since the .PSW file extension is shared across different software, you can also use basic hex editors or command-line tools to inspect the raw file header and determine its true origin.
File Conversion
If your .PSW file is an old Pocket Word document, you might want to read it on modern devices. We recommend file conversion to sensible target formats on convert.guru. You can convert these older documents to standard .DOCX, .PDF, or .TXT formats.
Summary
viewer.online/psw directly opens and previews .PSW files in the browser, eliminating the need to install software or troubleshoot compatibility issues.