BMP (Windows Bitmap) file

A BMP, or Windows Bitmap, is Microsoft's binary raster-image format for monochrome or color pixel data. It is widely supported by Windows, office, publishing, browser and image-processing applications, but files are often large because they are commonly uncompressed.

Use an image viewer, browser, office application, desktop-publishing program or image editor that supports BMP. If the file fails to display, the application may not support its particular bit depth, compression, alpha channel or color profile.

Double-click the BMP and select an installed image application if Windows asks which program to use. Windows is the format's primary platform, although support for a particular BMP variant still depends on the application.

Open the BMP with a compatible macOS image viewer, browser or image editor. If one application rejects it, try another that supports the file's bit depth, compression method and color information.

Use a mobile browser, image viewer or image-editing app that states BMP support. Very large, usually uncompressed BMP images may require more storage and memory than compressed alternatives.

The extension may be wrong, the file may be truncated, or header fields may disagree with the file size or pixel-data offset. A BMP normally begins with hexadecimal 42 4D, but that marker alone does not prove the remaining structure is valid.

BMP is the file format, while DIB means Device-Independent Bitmap and commonly refers to the related in-memory bitmap structure used by Windows software. They are closely related, but the terms describe different storage contexts.

PNG uses lossless compression and is the preferable target for fidelity, but conversion is not automatically identical. Verify that the workflow preserves the BMP's bit depth, transparency and ICC color profile.

It can. JPEG uses lossy encoding, so BMP-to-JPEG conversion may discard pixel information. Keep the BMP original if exact preservation is required.

BMP has no executable active content, so direct execution risk is low, but malformed files can still target decoder flaws. BMP can also encapsulate JPEG or PNG data; open untrusted images with current software and remember that BMP supplies no privacy or integrity protection.

No. Hexadecimal 42 4D, the ASCII letters BM, is the usual opening signature for BMP/DIB files, but later fields must also agree with the file size, pixel offset and structure. A valid-looking signature neither proves the image is trustworthy nor guarantees safe decoding.