Click the "Select File" button above, and choose your MNL file.
You’ll see a preview, if available.
Click the "Convert file to..." button to extract text information.
Convert MNL to another file type
To convert MNL Files to another format, you need OrCAD or other Cad software.
Convert a file to MNL
To convert other file formats to the "PCB Layout Database" file type, you need software like OrCAD or a similar tool.
About MNL files
The .MNL file extension has three distinct and proprietary uses. Primarily, it is a PCB Layout Database file used by OrCAD to store complex printed circuit board schematics and manufacturing logic. Secondly, it functions as a Manual Layout File (template) within Help & Manual authoring tools, utilizing a closed Microsoft Compound file structure. Finally, a small percentage are AutoCAD Menu LISP files used by Autodesk to automatically load custom functions alongside user interfaces. Opening an .MNL file is notoriously frustrating because it represents a fragmented ecosystem. OrCAD and AutoCAD require expensive, closed-ecosystem licenses to simply view their respective files. The Help & Manual templates are proprietary layout containers that do not natively open in standard text editors. Consequently, users often face strict vendor lock-in where only the original software engine can correctly read, render, or export the data. Converting these files is highly dependent on the source tool. For PCB layouts, the ideal conversion targets are PDF for review or standard GBR (Gerber) files for manufacturing, which usually demands the original OrCAD application. Manual templates are typically compiled outward into CHM or PDF formats. AutoCAD menu files are essentially text-based LISP routines, meaning you can safely convert them to TXT to salvage the code. Standard online converters usually fail entirely because they lack the proprietary engines required to decipher closed CAD databases or Microsoft Compound structures. If you are stuck, just drag and drop your .MNL file into convert.guru to identify its exact subtype. While we cannot guarantee full conversion of a locked CAD database, our tool can safely inspect the file headers, extract readable text, and reveal internal structural content. If our analysis detects a supported embedded format, viewing or converting parts of the file may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your MNL file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert MNL file to PST, EST, TMP, TEMP, CACHE, LOG, BAK, OLD, NEW, PART, DOWNLOAD or CRDOWNLOAD, you can use OrCAD or similar software from the "PCB Layout Database" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DEVICE, CACHE, SOCK, SYMLINK, PID, MOUNT, FIFO, LOG, PIPE, TMP, JUNCTION or TEMP files to MNL, try OrCAD or another comparable tool in the "PCB Layout Database" category.
The MNL Converter Story
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 MNL converter.