What Is an ASPX File? 3 Important Things to Know

Have you ever tried to download something on your computer just for it to download as an ASPX file and not work when you try to open it?

Similar to how .docx file formats are for documents and .zip file formats are for compressed files, .aspx file formats are for files in the .net language, and it can be difficult to figure out how to open.

Now that you downloaded an ASPX file that seems useless to you, what do you do now?

This article explains what ASPX files are, how to open them, and how to convert them to a PDF.

What Is an ASPX File?

A file that has an ASPX file extension is an Active Server Page Extended file. These files are designed for Microsoft’s ASP.NET server-side web framework. 

ASPX files contain scripts and codes that instruct the browser how certain web pages should be displayed. They can also instruct browsers to fetch specific elements, such as Javascript.

Typically, you’ll only see an ASPX extension if it’s in a URL or if your browser sends you an ASPX file by accident.

How to Open an ASPX File

An ASPX file is an uncommon file to open in Windows. If you downloaded a file with this extension it’s often because the website is having an issue generating usable information. 

Sometimes opening the file is as easy as renaming it with a different extension. For example, if it’s a picture you were trying to download, you can rename the file with a .jpg extension. If you tried to download a PDF, you can change the extension to .pdf.

The issue that can arise here though is that sometimes the website you downloaded the file from may not have presented the file properly for downloading. This can either be browser-related or plug-in-related. In this case, you can try downloading the file using a different server. For example, if you were using Chrome, try using Safari instead.

How to Convert an ASPX File to a PDF

You can convert an ASPX file to a PDF right in your browser. 

Take the ASPX file and drag and drop it into your browser where you would type in a URL. Once a new window opens in your browser, go to print the webpage. When the print window pops up you’ll see at the bottom of the popup an area for you to change the file type. There you can choose to save the ASPX file to PDF on your computer.

The issue with this is that ASPX files have a specific purpose, and trying to convert them to a different file on your own can cause them to stop working completely.

If this happens to you, you’ll want to use an ASPX to PDF converter. 

These converters are designed to work with ASPX files. Some of these converters can convert your file to a number of different files, including HTML, ASP, MSGX, SVC, SRF, and more.

ASPX Files

Now that you know what an ASPX file is and how it works, you’ll be prepared if your computer ever accidentally downloads another one in the future.

You’re bound to come across an ASPX file at least once, but as long as you follow this guide you can easily convert your ASPX file to a format that works with what you’re trying to download.

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