What is a TMP file?
A .TMP file is a temporary file. Software applications create these files to hold data temporarily while a process is running. Many common programs, including Microsoft Office, Google Chrome, and Adobe Acrobat Reader, use .TMP files to manage active tasks. Usually, the software deletes the .TMP file automatically when you close the program or save your work. If the software crashes or shuts down incorrectly, the file might remain on your computer.
What is inside a TMP file?
Because .TMP is a generic extension, the internal data format varies completely depending on the software that created it. For example, a .TMP file might actually be a ZIP archive, a JPG image, a DOC document, or a JSON text file. Some .TMP files hold raw system data, like Microsoft Windows crash minidumps, hibernation data, or Avira antivirus updates.
How to open TMP files?
Since a .TMP file can hold almost any type of data, you cannot simply guess the correct software to open it. This means you must identify the true format first. viewer.online/tmp analyzes .TMP files to identify their exact format and creator software, shows which programs can open the file, and usually previews it directly in your browser.
Best practices and troubleshooting
Do not delete .TMP files if the related program is still actively running, as this can cause software crashes. If your software crashed recently, you might be able to recover lost work by inspecting the .TMP file and renaming the extension back to its original format (like .DOCX or .JPG). If you need to convert a known temporary file for permanent use, we recommend using convert.guru to transform it into a standard target format like .PDF, .JPG, or .ZIP.
Summary
Identifying the contents of temporary files is the only way to recover or inspect them properly. Because .TMP files often use the known ZIP format or standard document structures under the hood, viewer.online/tmp can safely open and display them online, eliminating compatibility problems.