Sources of PRF Problems
Common PRF Opening Problems
Missing Microsoft Outlook 2016
When you double-click your PRF file, you may see a dialog box from your operating system stating that it "Cannot Open This File Type". Usually, this is because you do not have Microsoft Outlook 2016 for %%os%% installed. This will prevent you from double-clicking to open the PRF file because the OS doesn’t know how to handle it.
Tip: If you know of another program that can open your PRF file, you can try opening it by selecting the application from the programs listed.
Microsoft Outlook 2016 Requires Update
Occasionally, you might have an outdated version of Microsoft Outlook 2016 installed that's incompatible with your Outlook Profile File type. Installing the latest version of Microsoft Outlook 2016 from Microsoft Corporation is recommended. Most of the time your Outlook Profile File file was created by a newer Microsoft Outlook 2016 than what you have installed.
Tip: Right-clicking on your PRF, then clicking "Properties" (Windows) or "Get Info" (Mac), can provide clues about your file version.
Regardless, most of the PRF file opening problems relate to not having the right version of Microsoft Outlook 2016 installed.
Other Causes of PRF File Opening Problems
Even with the correct version of Microsoft Outlook 2016 installed, you can still experience difficulties opening PRFs. If you are continuing to have errors with loading PRF files, other external issues might be to blame. These issues include:
- File references in the Windows Registry for PRF are wrong
- The PRF file description within the Windows Registry was removed
- Partial installation of Microsoft Outlook 2016 that did not fully complete
- Your PRF file is corrupted (issues with your Outlook Profile File file itself)
- The PRF is infected with a virus
- Hardware related to PRFs has device driver corruption
- Windows has inadequate resources to open your Outlook Profile File file
Quiz: Which file extension is a type of raster image?
That's Correct!
TIFF files, or Tagged Image File Format, is a considered a raster image file. They are very popular with the publishing industry because of their ability to be compressed using lossless compression (maintaining high quality).
Close, but not quite...
TIFF files, or Tagged Image File Format, is a considered a raster image file. They are very popular with the publishing industry because of their ability to be compressed using lossless compression (maintaining high quality).
Poll: What file type do you use the most at work / in school?