How to open a .eot file (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Q: Why can't I open my .eot file?

Usually your computer lacks an app that understands EOT. Install one of the apps listed here, or convert the file to a more common format.

A .eot file is a Embedded OpenType Font. If double-clicking does nothing, your computer simply does not have an app that reads EOT yet. Here is how to fix that on each operating system, using free software wherever possible.

Open a .eot file step by step

Confirm the file really is a .eot. Drop it into the WhatFileType file identifier, which reads its signature without uploading anything.
On Windows, open it with Convert to TTF/WOFF2 or font tools.
On Mac, use Convert to TTF/WOFF2.
On Linux, try FontForge (via conversion).
Still stuck? Convert the .eot to woff2, which opens more widely.

Best apps to open .eot files

Windows

Convert to TTF/WOFF2
font tools

macOS

Convert to TTF/WOFF2

Linux

FontForge (via conversion)

Web

Legacy Internet Explorer only

Before you open it: Safe. EOT is a font file. It is read by the browser's font engine, not executed.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I open my .eot file?

Almost always because no installed app understands EOT. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads.

What is an .eot file?

Embedded OpenType, an old Microsoft web-font format made for Internet Explorer. It wraps a TrueType/OpenType font for embedding on web pages.

Do I still need EOT fonts?

Almost never. Only very old Internet Explorer required them. Modern sites use WOFF2, which every current browser supports.