What is the .part file extension?
.part files are commonly referred to as Partial Download files. Various download applications use .part files to store parts of a download in these files and upon completion of the download combines the various .part files.
Broadly speaking, one can segregate download applications into two distinct groups ? Download Manager and P2P download clients.
Download Manager ? These applications are useful in downloading large amounts of data from HTTP and FTP servers. Such applications use .part files extensively to divide the download process into smaller parts. As this allows the application to resume the download in case the connection to servers is lost or for some other reasons the download process is interrupted in between.
Important: If you are downloading files using FlashGet ? a free download manager for Microsoft Windows ? you will need to rename the .part file extension to .jc to resume downloading of a .part file in case the download process terminates mid-way.
P2P download clients ? As the name suggests, these applications facilitate downloading of files from Peer-to-Peer file sharing networks, such as BitTorrent.
When downloading files from the Internet, including .part files using either Download Managers or P2P download clients, caution should be exercised. Always scan files that you download before using them as they can be infected with malware.
Which programs can open .part files?
If you use Windows, you may use any of the following programs to open a .part file:
- BulletProof Go!Zilla
- FlashGet
- Free Download Manager (FDM)
- DrSiRiUs eMule Plus
If you Linux, you may use the following program to open a .part file:
- zsync
However, as .part files represent a partial download, a .part file itself is of not much use. If you are unable to open a .part file using your download application, then you may seek the services of FileCure, a software that allows Windows users to open, edit, and save numerous file types, including .part files.