SED Converter

Extract text from SED files

Select File
Drop or upload your .SED file

Online File Converter

✈

How to extract text from your SED file

Click the "Select File" button above, and choose your SED file.
You’ll see a preview, if available.
Click the "Convert file to..." button to extract text information.

Convert SED to another file type

To convert your SED file to another format, you need IExpress or other Developer software.

SED to INI
SED to CFG
SED to CONF
SED to CONFIG
SED to JSON
SED to XML
SED to YAML
SED to YML
SED to TOML
SED to ENV
SED to PROPERTIES
SED to RC

Convert a file to SED

To convert other file formats to the "Script & Config" file type, you need software like IExpress or a similar tool.

ZSHRC to SED
CONF to SED
RCFILE to SED
GITCONFIG to SED
RC to SED
PLIST to SED
BASHRC to SED
CONFIG to SED
PROFILE to SED
INI to SED
PREFS to SED
CFG to SED

About SED files

The .SED extension is a classic example of file extension collision, serving three completely unrelated ecosystems. Most commonly in Windows environments, it is a Self Extraction Directive file generated by the legacy Microsoft IExpress tool. These files are essentially plain text blueprints used to compile self-extracting EXE installers; users often stumble upon them when trying to reverse-engineer or modify an installer and find they cannot execute the file itself. In the Linux/Unix world, a .SED file is a script for the Stream Editor (GNU sed), containing complex regex commands for text processing. Finally, in the gaming emulation scene, it represents encrypted system data (like StreetPass logs) for the Nintendo 3DS.

The friction here is significant: Windows users cannot double-click to run these directives (nothing happens), and Unix scripts often lack the environment to run on a standard PC. Furthermore, the Nintendo 3DS variant is proprietary and encrypted, rendering it unreadable without specific emulators like Citra.

Best Conversion Targets:

For Inspection/Editing: Since IExpress and Unix variants are text-based, convert or rename to TXT to view the source code without risking execution.
For Execution: IExpress directives should be compiled back to EXE using the native wizard, while Unix scripts are often converted to SH or BAT for broader shell compatibility.
For Archiving: 3DS data is best backed up as raw BIN dumps to preserve data integrity for emulators.

Convert.Guru analyzes your SED file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.

Users also converted JPG, PNG, AC, MO and MUSE files.

The SED 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 SED converter.