What is a .cur file?
Windows Cursor · Image · Microsoft · 1985
A .cur file is a Windows mouse cursor image. It uses the same structure as the ICO icon format but adds a hotspot, the exact pixel that counts as the click point.
What is a .cur file used for?
CUR files store one or more small images at different sizes, like an icon, plus the cursor hotspot. The header is almost identical to ICO, differing only in the image-type field (2 for a cursor, 1 for an icon).
Animated cursors use the separate .ani format. You create and edit .cur files in cursor editors, and Windows uses them through the mouse settings.
What opens a .cur file?
The .cur format opens in the following apps, grouped by operating system. If one app does not work, try another from the same list.
Windows
- RealWorld Cursor Editor
- GIMP
- IrfanView
macOS
- GIMP
- image editors with ICO support
Linux
- GIMP
- ImageMagick
Open a .cur file step by step
- Confirm the file really is a .cur. Drop it into the WhatFileType identifier, which reads its signature in your browser without uploading anything.
- On Windows, open it with RealWorld Cursor Editor or GIMP.
- On Mac, use GIMP or image editors with ICO support.
- On Linux, try GIMP or ImageMagick.
- Still stuck? Convert the .cur to png, which opens more widely.
Why can't I open my .cur file?
Almost always because no installed app understands CUR. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads. If double-clicking opens the wrong program instead of nothing at all, the file association is set to the wrong app rather than the file being broken.
The other possibility is that the file is not really a .cur at all. Drop it into the file identifier to check it by its bytes instead of its name. Nothing is uploaded.
How to convert a .cur file
You can convert a .cur file to png, ico using a conversion tool or the export menu of an app that opens it.
What is the .cur file signature (magic bytes)?
A .cur file starts with the hex bytes 00 00 02 00. Programs identify CUR by those bytes, not by the filename, so a renamed file still gives itself away.
These are the documented signatures for CUR. For a full breakdown, see the Windows cursor file signature page.
| Hex signature | Offset | ASCII | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00 00 02 00 | 0 | - | cursor (icon files use 00 00 01 00) |
See the full magic-numbers reference for every format.
Frequently asked questions
What is a .cur file?
A .cur file is a Windows mouse cursor image. It uses the same structure as the ICO icon format but adds a hotspot, the exact pixel that counts as the click point.
How do I open a .cur file?
Use a cursor editor like RealWorld Cursor Editor, or open it as an image in GIMP or IrfanView.
What is the difference between CUR and ICO?
They share the same structure, but a CUR is a mouse cursor with a click hotspot, while an ICO is an application or file icon.
How do I use a .cur file as my cursor?
On Windows, open Mouse settings, go to Pointers, pick a pointer role and browse to the .cur file.
Related formats
Sources
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