CRW File Extension

Programs that support CRW files

• Windows ²¹
• Mac OS ⁴
• Linux ²

Windows

• XnView
• Digital Photo Professional
• ZoomBrowser
• FastPictureViewer Pro
• Adobe Photoshop
• FastStone Image Viewer
• ArcSoft PhotoStudio
• Zoner Photo Studio
• ACDSee Photo Manager
• Adobe Lightroom
• HDR Darkroom
• Adobe Photoshop Elements
• Adobe Photoshop Camera
• PhotoFiltre Studio
• Rawzor Photo
• BatchPhoto
• Adobe DNG Converter
• Picture Information Extractor
• PhotoPlus
• PhotoPhilia
• Magix Photo Manager

Mac OS

• XnView
• PhotoScape X
• Adobe Lightroom
• Adobe Photoshop

Linux

• XnView
• darktable

How to open a CRW file?

The most common reason why a CRW file cannot be opened is the absence of required software. To fix this, select a compatible program from the list. Then visit the official developer website via the provided link, download the program, and install it on your system.

XnView, Digital Photo Professional and ZoomBrowser stand out as the preferred programs to manage CRW files effectively. To get the latest version of Digital Photo Professional, open the Canon website where a universal installer for all operating systems is available.

After installing, your OS should instantly open CRW files with Digital Photo Professional.

Set Digital Photo Professional as your default CRW viewer

Set default app to open files on Mac

1. Right-click or Control + left-click on the desired CRW file to open a menu of available actions;
2. Choose "Open in Application" and click "Other";
3. Look towards the bottom of the window, where you will find the "Enable" menu. "Recommended programs" will be the default selection;
4. Choose "All Programs" in this menu and search for Digital Photo Professional. Check the box next to "Always open in app" to set it as the default option.

Set default programs for Windows

1. Start the process by right-clicking on your CRW file and selecting "Open With". From there, click "Choose another app" to continue;
2. From the list of applications in the pop-up window, find and select Digital Photo Professional as your desired application;
3. Check the "Always use this app" checkbox, and then click "OK" to set your chosen app as the default for opening CRW files.

Convert files to and from CRW

If a CRW file is difficult to handle, you might try converting it to formats such as JPG, JPEG or similar, which may be easier to work with.

Be aware that converting a CRW file may reduce some features, but you can usually revert it to the original format.

Using offline converters like Adobe Lightroom, FastStone Image Viewer and Zoner Photo Studio ensures high-quality conversion of CRW files to different formats.

Convert CRW to other file formats

• CRW to JPEG
• CRW to JPG

Solving Common CRW File Challenges

Problematic CRW files can usually be resolved by making small changes in your software. See the tips below to help fix common issues.

How to edit a CRW file?

To make changes to CRW files, you need specialized software that allows both opening and editing the camera raw files. Online CRW editors offer fewer capabilities than applications optimized for Canon Raw CIFF Image Format.

Best CRW Editor Software in 2026

Based on the specified criteria, here is a list of CRW editors that may fit your requirements.