Extract text from Microsoft protected files (PFILE)
To convert PFILE protected files to another format, you need Microsoft AIP Viewer or other Encoded software.
To convert other file formats to the "Rights Management Protected File" file type, you need software like Microsoft AIP Viewer or a similar tool.
The .PFILE extension represents a Microsoft Protected File created by Microsoft Azure Information Protection. It acts as an encrypted container used to apply Digital Rights Management (DRM) to generic file formats like PDF, JPG, or TXT that do not natively support Microsoft's internal protection protocols.
To open these files, users typically need the official Microsoft Information Protection Viewer and valid authentication credentials linked to their organization.
The main disadvantage of the .PFILE format is its strict vendor lock-in and usability friction. Because it is heavily encrypted, you cannot open it natively on standard web browsers or non-Microsoft operating systems without downloading specific viewer applications and signing in. The format requires an active internet connection to check permissions. Furthermore, standard online converters completely fail to process it because the internal data is mathematically scrambled.
Users usually want to convert or "unprotect" the file back to its original target format (such as PDF or JPG) so it can be shared freely. Doing this removes the DRM restrictions, meaning the file loses its access-control tracking.
Because this is a closed, proprietary, and heavily encrypted format, third-party conversion is notoriously difficult. Often, only the original software can properly read or export the data. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format that isn't fully obfuscated, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your PFILE file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted P, PFI, PDF, PP, XLSX, MP3, CDW, JPG, JPEG, XML, BIN, SIG and TXT files.
If you want to convert PFILE file to BASE64, HEX, BIN, ENC, CRYPT, AES, DES, RSA, PGP, GPG, ASC or KEY, you can use Microsoft AIP Viewer or similar software from the "Encrypted File Container" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert CER, BIN, PEM, DER, KEY, P7S, PFX, ENC, P12, BASE64, P7B or HEX files to PFILE, try Microsoft AIP Viewer or another comparable tool in the "Encrypted File Container" 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 PFILE converter.