Opening .dxr Files: 2 Ways to do it

Windows doesn't natively support the format

How to

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by Kazim Ali Alvi 

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Key notes

  • For opening .dxr files, you can download Adobe Director or convert them into a supported format.
  • Installing Adobe Shockwave Player will allow viewing DXR files on a web browser, but the software was discontinued.
  • Keep reading to discover the steps for each method!
methods for opening .dxr files

DXR files are non-editable movie/video files. They found extensive applications in gaming in the 90s, but after the discontinuation of Adobe Director, users are having a tough time opening .dxr files.

DXR files are uncompressed and were created using Macromedia Director (later known as Adobe Director). They are suitable in cases where disk space is not a constraint, and the stored data only needs to be viewed. When it comes to editing, DIR files are the preferred format.

How can I open .dxr files?

Tip icon Tip
The guide lists tools that are to be downloaded from third-party websites. While these appear safe, we recommend you take the necessary precautions at your end. Scan the downloaded files using an effective antivirus solution and have it enabled at all times!

1. Get a dedicated player

The primary option is to use a dedicated player for opening .dxr files. Your first choice would be Adobe Director.

Even though it is not officially available for download, you can still find it on Internet Archives, a third-party website hosting the discontinued software. The installers for both Windows and MacOS are listed.

opening DXR files

Download and extract the files, run the setup and complete the installation. You can then view .dxr files like the good old days! Also, Adobe Director will automatically be set as the default file association for DXR files. If that doesn’t happen, manually set the default app.

We got the 0x80004005 error while extracting files, but using a dedicated extraction software helped fix the problem.

2. Convert the file into a supported format

You can also convert DXR to MP4 using an online converter. There are several options available. Choose one that works best for you!

There are a few downloadable DXR converter programs as well. The preferred option for most is ProjectorRays on GitHub. The tool converts non-editable DXR files into editable DIR files.

Also, earlier, you could use a web browser for opening .dxr files, but with Adobe Shockwave Player being discontinued, that’s not the case anymore. However, if you can get hold of it from a reliable third-party source, viewing DXR files would be much simpler!

In case you regularly work with outdated or unsupported formats, we recommend getting a universal file opener and removing individual programs for each file type!

For any queries or to share which program worked best for you, drop a comment below.

More about the topics: file opener, file type

Kazim Ali Alvi

Kazim Ali Alvi Shield

Windows Hardware Expert

Kazim has always been fond of technology, be it scrolling through the settings on his iPhone, Android device, or Windows PC. He's specialized in hardware devices, always ready to remove a screw or two to find out the real cause of a problem. Long-time Windows user, Kazim is ready to provide a solution for your every software & hardware error on Windows 11, Windows 10 and any previous iteration. He's also one of our experts in Networking & Security.