CUR File: The Ultimate Guide to CUR Files
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In a nutshell, photography has become an integral part of our social lives and career paths, including at the workplace. Therefore, it's not surprising to find yourself working on a project involving pictures, especially if you're in the product or marketing department.
If you have no idea what CUR files are and how to access them, this article is for you. We shall take you through all you need to know about CUR files and how you can open them efficiently.
What is a CUR file?
CUR files are basically cursor image files used to store custom or default cursor graphics for Windows mouse pointer. This is usually either a spinning glass to represent waiting, an arrow for general pointing or an I-bar to show editing.
But these are just the default CUR files, each time you install a new desktop theme, it will come with its unique CUR file, so the Windows' cursor matches the particular desktop theme. For instance, if you download a space-based custom desktop theme, your CUR file might come with a cursor image of a rocket ship to go with the theme.
Are CUR files dangerous?
CUR files are usually safe and can be downloaded without causing harm to your computer. However, they can be dangerous indirectly if the application that came with the files is vulnerable to malware. This can be solved by updating Windows and letting the Windows built-in antivirus take care of it. Whenever you try and open a CUR file with malware, Windows will automatically block it.
Other reasons why your CUR file might fail to open include:
- The CUR file is corrupt
- You are using incorrect links to the particular CUR file in its registry entry
- You've accidentally deleted the CUR file's description from Windows registry
- You failed to properly install an application supporting the CUR format
- Your computer doesn't have adequate hardware to handle opening the file
How to open a CUR file
As we saw earlier, your computer might fail to open CUR files as it would other files. You'll probably get a message saying, "Windows cannot open this file" or "which app would you like Windows to use to open this file."
While, in some cases, this is due to corruption of the file, it is mainly because Windows doesn't recognize an application that is compatible with the particular file. You'll need an appropriate third-party editing application like PaintShop Pro.
PaintShop Pro is one of the top cross-platform video editors out there today. It comes with a plethora of built-in features and tools that will let you access and edit different image file formats, including CUR files. The application is especially good for photo editing or making modifications to photos to make them more professional.
With PaintShop Pro, opening the file should fall down to a few simple steps:
- Download and install PaintShop Pro on your computer
- Start the application, then select File> Open
- Move through the drop list and select the folder you stored the CUR file in
- Choose your .cur file by clicking on it, or hold down the ctrl button to select multiple files
- Click Open
Conclusion
Well, that just about covers it. In a nutshell, all you need to open a CUR file or any other file for that matter is compatible software. In this case, we recommend you use PaintShop Pro. The software opens a range of different file types. It is also highly affordable while featuring all the editing tools needed to make professional edits on videos and images. So visit our website today and download the PaintShop Pro free trial.