Stuffit Expander is a utility that will decode and extract Macintosh files downloaded from the Internet.

Unlike Windows downloads, which must be decompressed, Macintosh downloads must be decompressed and decoded before they can be used. Fortunately, Stuffit Expander combines both these steps.

Macintosh downloadable files are encoded using either the BinHex or Macbinary format. BinHex files have the extension .hqx, and Macbinary files have the extension .bin. Stuffit Expander can decode both kinds of files.

When you download a .hqx or .bin file, follow these steps.

1. After the file is downloaded, Stuffit Expander will automatically start and will first decode the file, creating a compressed file with the extension .sit. Stuffit Expander will then decompress the .sit file, usually creating a folder that holds the final product.
2. Make a note of the folder so that you can find it again, either to run the program, or to delete it if you do not want to keep it.
3. Open the new folder, print or read the Read Me file, and follow the instructions.
4. You can then delete the .sit file and the .hqx or .bin file.

Related questions:

What is WinZip?
How do I configure my Sympatico Software to automatically open files once they are downloaded?

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