NFO

NFO is an abbreviation for " Info". It is used as a file name extension due to the 8.3 limitation of many file systems and originates from the warez scene, in which almost all illegally distributed software products an NFO file is enclosed.

Nfo is in Microsoft Windows. , The file name extension for the built- in Windows System Information. Specific for this program NFO files have no connection to NFO files the warez scene and are therefore not compatible.

Nfo files with ASCII art

Files with the extension. Nfo are often generic ASCII text files that can be viewed, for example, with a simple text editor. Almost always it is thus possible to represent most of the information content of the NFO file.

For the ASCII art used in many NFO files in the usual DOS character sets CP850 CP866 for Western Europe and for Russia to be used.

Programs for NFO files

Together with the use of non -proportional fonts, the necessary fonts from many common text editors can not be displayed correctly. There are therefore special NFO viewers (English NFO Viewer) developed that allow on current operating systems a correct display of files contained in NFO ASCII Art. Some text editors can also deal with these character sets and allow a restricted edit NFO files.

Furthermore, there are special programs that transform images into ASCII art, then what you can expand informative text with an appropriate editor.

To allow you to view NFO files on web pages, there are programs that (a text file) to a PNG file to convert ( an image file ) a NFO file.

The warez and demo scene

In particular, in the warez scene, it is common, the publications add annotations in a NFO file. Herein usually information about the quality of the release, serial numbers are listed to unlock the supplied software or the like. In addition, many other releases are announced, greeted friendly Releasegroups, hostile abused and it is jokingly ("All we need is girls ...") or even how serious ( " We are currently looking for ... " ) describes what the Release Group currently requires. These desires are almost always at the end of NFO with the greetings, where sometimes even e- mail addresses can be specified for the contact.

Initiated and umschmückt are the texts of the NFO file with ASCII art in the form of all sorts of flourishes, graffiti logos and cartoon characters, all composed of single ASCII characters.

Though long, it is possible with much less effort to create much more detailed and colorful graphics (eg in PNG format ), use Releasegroups to be of ASCII art as a nod to the hacker culture of the 1980s.

System Information Microsoft Windows

Under Microsoft Windows since Windows 2000 files with the filename extension. Nfo standard with the System Information program ( msinfo32.exe ) linked. They contain information about a computer system such as the hardware equipment.

As on Windows, all files that end in. Nfo, are open by default with this program appears when attempting to open NFO files with ASCII art an error message.