Free PFC Reader for Windows

View PFC Files Without
AOL Desktop Installation

Open, read and inspect AOL Personal Filing Cabinet files directly on Windows. Preview every email, attachment, header and hex value inside your PFC archives. It is completely free to use.

Download Free Viewer
100% Safe • No Registration • Windows 11/10/8/7

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Open any PFC file from AOL Desktop 6.0 through 10.0 instantly
Preview emails in 5 view modes: Content, Properties, Header, Hex & Raw
View attachments, contacts, bookmarks and folder structure intact
Save individual attachments to disk and extract email addresses free
Standalone app that works without AOL software or internet connection
Use Quick Search & Advanced Filters to find specific emails instantly

Anatomy of a PFC File

What's Actually Inside Your PFC Archive?

A PFC file is not a simple mailbox. It is a self-contained database. Here is every data type our viewer can open and display.

Email Messages

Every sent, received, drafted and saved email stored across all AOL mailbox folders including Inbox, Sent, Filing Cabinet, Saved and user-created custom folders.

SubjectBody HTMLPlain TextTo / From / CCTimestamps

File Attachments

Photos, documents, spreadsheets and any other file sent as an email attachment. These are stored inside the PFC binary across non-contiguous data blocks and can be viewed and individually saved.

JPG / PNGPDFDOC / DOCXZIPOriginal Names

Address Book Contacts

Your complete AOL address book stored within the PFC archive, including display names, email addresses, and contact groups you had organized on AOL.

Full NameEmailGroupsNotes

Bookmarks & Favorites

Saved AOL Favorites (web bookmarks) that were preserved inside the Personal Filing Cabinet, including URLs, titles and folder groupings from your AOL browsing history.

URLsPage TitlesFolders

Folder Hierarchy

The complete original folder structure your AOL account had, including default system folders plus every custom folder and subfolder you created to organize emails.

InboxSentCustomNested

Metadata & Headers

Full email routing headers (Received, SMTP-ID, Message-ID, X-headers), internal PFC object metadata, timestamps and message properties hidden from normal view.

IP AddressSMTP RouteMessage-IDX-Headers

5 Specialized View Modes

Examine PFC Emails From Every Angle

Each view mode reveals a different layer of your PFC email data. Switch between them instantly from the preview panel.

Content View

Rendered email preview

See the email exactly as the recipient would, with HTML formatting, embedded images, hyperlinks and styled text rendered accurately.

Full HTML body rendering
Inline images displayed
Subject, sender and date shown
Click-to-preview attachments

Properties View

Email metadata fields

View structured metadata fields for each email: subject, sender, recipients, date, size, attachment count, importance flags and more.

Sender and recipient details
Message size and type
Attachment count and names
Read/unread status, priority

Message Header

Full routing information

Inspect the complete internet email header including routing path, server IPs, authentication results, timestamps at each hop and X-headers.

Received-from chain & IPs
DKIM & SPF records
SMTP server identification
Essential for forensic tracing

Hex View

Binary-level inspection

Examine the raw hexadecimal byte values of each email object. Critical for forensic investigators verifying data integrity, detecting tampering or analyzing binary artifacts embedded within the PFC data blocks.

Raw Message

Unprocessed MIME source

View the full unprocessed MIME source of the email including all boundaries, encoding declarations, base64 attachment blocks and content-type definitions. Useful for developers and investigators who need to analyze the email at the protocol level.

Who Needs to View PFC Files?

Built for Everyone With AOL Archives

🕵

Forensic Investigators

Analyze PFC email headers, trace IP routing paths and examine hex data for evidence collection from AOL mailboxes in legal and criminal cases.

💼

Legal Professionals

Review old AOL email correspondence for litigation hold, eDiscovery requests or compliance audits without needing to convert file formats.

🏠

Home Users

Rediscover personal emails, family photos and old conversations saved in AOL Personal Filing Cabinet archives from the early 2000s.

💻

IT Administrators

Audit legacy AOL mailbox archives during system migrations, data retention reviews or when decommissioning old workstations.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to Open & View PFC Files

Just three clicks to view any PFC file. No registration, no AOL account, no internet connection needed.

Download & Launch

Free download, installs in seconds

Download the 4n6 PFC File Viewer, run it, click the Open button and select Open PFC option and browse your PFC file.

Browse Folder Tree

All folders load on left panel

The viewer instantly loads the PFC folder tree including Inbox, Sent, Custom Folders and more. Click any folder to see its email list.

Read & Inspect

Switch between 5 view modes

Click any email to read it. Switch between Content, Properties, etc. using the tabs. Use Quick Search to find specific emails.

Find Your Files

Where Are PFC Files On Your Computer?

PFC files are stored in hidden system folders. Here's exactly where to look based on your Windows version.

Windows 7 / 8 / 10 / 11

Default Path C:\ProgramData\AOL\C_AOL [version]\organize\

The ProgramData folder is hidden by default. Enable "Show hidden files" in File Explorer settings or paste the path directly into the address bar.

Windows XP

Default Path C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\
Application Data\AOL\C_AOL [version]\organize\

Each AOL screen name has its own subfolder containing the PFC file. The file may not have a visible .pfc extension.

💡 Pro Tip: If you've moved or copied AOL data from an old computer, the PFC file might be in your backup drive or transfer folder. Look for a file named after your AOL screen name (e.g., JohnDoe) without an extension, or with a .pfc extension. Our viewer opens both.

The PFC Format Story

A Brief History of AOL Personal Filing Cabinet

Understanding why millions of PFC files exist and why they need a dedicated viewer today.

1997 – 2002

PFC Introduced in AOL Desktop 4.0

AOL introduced the Personal Filing Cabinet as a way for users to store emails, attachments and bookmarks locally. At peak popularity, AOL had over 26 million subscribers in the US alone, and each one generated PFC files on their home computers.

2003 – 2007

PFC Format Evolves with ZLib Compression

AOL Desktop versions 7.0 through 9.0 introduced ZLib compression for email bodies and changed the internal block structure. PFC files from this era require decompression before the email content can be read.

2008 – 2017

AOL Desktop 10.0 and Desktop Gold

The final versions of AOL Desktop continued using PFC for local storage. As users migrated to webmail, PFC files were left on old hard drives and backup disks. These are often the only copy of decades of personal correspondence.

2017 – Present

AOL Desktop Discontinued and PFC Files Orphaned

With AOL Desktop discontinued, the only software that could natively open PFC files no longer exists. Millions of PFC archives remain on old computers and backup drives with no way to access them. That is exactly why this dedicated PFC viewer was built.

Software Specifications

4n6 PFC Viewer Technical Details

Software Name	4n6 PFC File Viewer (Free Edition)
Download	Download Now • Size: ~45 MB
Current Version	4.8
Viewing Capability	Unlimited PFC files, no size restriction
Supported PFC Versions	AOL Desktop 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0 and 10.0
View Modes	Content, Properties, Message Header, Hex View, Raw Message
Free Features	Full viewing, search, save attachments, extract email addresses
Operating System	Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7 (32-bit & 64-bit) • Windows Server 2022, 2019, 2016, 2012 R2, 2008
Minimum RAM	2 GB (4 GB recommended for large archives)
Disk Space	100 MB free space for installation
Processor	Intel Core 2 Duo or equivalent, 2.0 GHz+
Dependencies	None. Fully standalone. No AOL Desktop or Outlook required
Upgrade Path	PFC File Converter to export PFC emails to PST, EML, MBOX, PDF and 10+ formats

📖 Software Guide 📋 Installation 📜 EULA

Need More Than Viewing?

Upgrade to PFC File Converter

The free viewer lets you read and inspect PFC files. Need to export emails to another format? Upgrade to unlock all conversion capabilities.

Free Viewer

PFC File Viewer

✅ Open & read PFC files
✅ 5 view modes (Content, Header, Hex...)
✅ Quick & advanced search
✅ Save individual attachments
✅ Extract email addresses
❌ Export to PST, EML, MBOX, PDF
❌ Batch conversion
❌ Cloud migration (Gmail, O365)

Download Free

Full Converter

PFC File Converter

✅ Everything in Free Viewer, plus:
✅ Export to PST, EML, MBOX, MSG
✅ Export to PDF, HTML, CSV, RTF
✅ Migrate to Gmail, Office 365, IMAP
✅ Batch convert multiple PFC files
✅ Date range & folder filters
✅ Extract contacts to vCard & CSV
Lifetime updates • 24/7 support

Learn More & Upgrade

Frequently Asked Questions

Common Questions About Viewing PFC Files

PFC stands for Personal Filing Cabinet. It is a proprietary binary file format created by AOL Desktop to store emails, contacts and bookmarks locally on your computer. Unlike standard email formats (EML, PST, MBOX), PFC files cannot be opened by any standard email client or file viewer. Since AOL Desktop has been discontinued, this dedicated PFC Viewer is the only way to access the contents of PFC archives.

Yes. The viewer functionality is completely free with no time limits. You can open unlimited PFC files, browse all folders, read every email, inspect headers and hex data, save individual attachments and extract email addresses without purchasing a license. A paid upgrade is only required if you want to export or convert PFC emails to other formats like PST, EML, MBOX or PDF.

On Windows 7/10/11, check: C:\ProgramData\AOL\C_AOL [version]\organize\. On Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\AOL\. The ProgramData folder is hidden by default. You need to enable "Show hidden files" in File Explorer. Each AOL screen name has its own PFC file, which may not have a visible extension.

Yes. The viewer supports PFC files created by every version of AOL Desktop from 6.0 through 10.0, including AOL Desktop Gold. It automatically detects the PFC version and handles both non-compressed (older versions) and ZLib-compressed (v7.0+) formats transparently.

No. The 4n6 PFC File Viewer is fully standalone. It does not require AOL Desktop, AOL Desktop Gold, Outlook or any other email client to be installed. It also does not need an internet connection to open and read PFC files.

Yes. The viewer includes both Quick Search and Advanced Search features. Quick Search lets you find keywords across all emails. Advanced Search allows filtering by sender, recipient, subject, date range, file size and more. This helps you locate specific correspondence in large PFC archives with thousands of messages.

Yes. When previewing an email with attachments, right-click on any attachment and select "Save" to download it to your local disk in its original format (JPG, PDF, DOCX, etc.). This attachment saving feature is included in the free viewer edition.

The free PFC Viewer lets you open, read, search and inspect PFC files in full detail. The PFC File Converter (paid upgrade) adds the ability to export PFC emails to 15+ formats including PST, EML, MBOX, PDF, HTML, CSV and direct migration to Gmail, Office 365, Thunderbird and other IMAP accounts.

View PFC Files Without
AOL Desktop Installation

What's Actually Inside Your PFC Archive?

Examine PFC Emails From Every Angle

Built for Everyone With AOL Archives