Extract text from 8start Launcher files (8ST)
To convert 8ST Launcher files to another format, you need 8start Launcher or other Settings software.
To convert other file formats to the "Application Configuration File" file type, you need software like 8start Launcher or a similar tool.
The .8ST file is a proprietary configuration file used by the 8start Launcher, a legacy utility designed to organize Windows desktop shortcuts into portable panels. These files store user-defined interface layouts, custom button properties, directory paths, and application launch parameters.
You can open and apply these settings natively using the 8start Launcher software. However, the original application is largely discontinued.
Because the .8ST format is a closed system, it presents severe disadvantages for users trying to migrate data. It is highly proprietary, requires the specific launcher installed to function natively, and is completely unsupported by modern web browsers, text editors, or contemporary start menu replacements. When the original application breaks or is uninstalled, users lose access to their meticulously organized shortcut structures.
If you need to recover your stored paths and application lists, the most pragmatic target formats are plain text files like TXT, XML, or CSV. You will lose the graphical button layouts, but you can successfully extract the underlying file paths.
Because this file is proprietary, standard online converters universally fail to process it. Only the original software is designed to read or export the interface data. Our system will identify the file format, deeply inspect the file, and display raw text or internal content. If our analysis detects readable strings or embedded directory paths, viewing or extracting the data as a standard text file is still highly possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your 8ST file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert 8ST file to [% faq_exts_to %], you can use 8start Launcher or similar software from the "Launcher Configuration Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert [% faq_exts_from %] files to 8ST, try 8start Launcher or another comparable tool in the "Launcher Configuration Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our 8ST converter.