Monday, May 26, 2014

How to view .oxps (Open XPS) files on Windows 7

I didn't expect this simple thing to be so tricky, mostly because the utility name is not XpsConverter.exe but OxpsConverter.exe instead.  So here's a solution for you for when you cannot find an XpsConverter.exe:

In order to convert and view .oxps files on Windows 7 you need to use OxpsConverter.exe which should be located in C:\Windows\System32 folder, just try to run C:\Windows\System32\OxpsConverter.exe from command line.

If you don't have it, download and install a Windows update for you version from here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2732059

Using the converter is very simple, just run
C:\Windows\System32\OxpsConverter.exe "file_to_convert.oxps"
and it will open a small GUI asking you where to convert the file to .xps format which can be opened by default in Windows 7.

NOTE: If you don't have then try looking for XpsConverter.exe
in %programfiles%\Windows Kits\8.0\bin\ or %programfiles(86)%\Windows Kits\8.0\bin\
if you happen to have Windows Driver Kit 8 (WDK) installed.