4 file types use the .paf file extension.

What is a PAF file?

Installer for a portable application stored on a USB flash drive; can be installed and run on any Windows computer from the USB drive; includes software such as Firefox Portable, OpenOffice.org Portable, 7-Zip Portable, as well as many other games, programs, and utilities.

More Information

Category: Executable Files

Personal Ancestral File

A PAF file may also be a genealogical database created by various genealogical management applications, such as Personal Ancestral File and Ancestral Quest. It contains family tree data, which includes ancestors, descendants, relationships, birth dates, and other genealogy information. PAF files may also include notes, sources, and contact information for the author of the database.

FamilySearch developed and introduced the Personal Ancestral File (PAF) format when it released the Personal Ancestral File program in 1984. The format went through various revisions over the years, and other genealogical programs adopted support for it. When a Personal Ancestral File user creates and saves a database with the software, the application stores the information in a PAF file by default.

You can open PAF files with Personal Ancestral File. However, FamilySearch discontinued the program on July 15, 2013.

Some alternative genealogical applications for opening PAF files include RootsMagic and Incline Software Ancestral Quest. For example, you can select File → Open... to open a PAF file with Ancestral Quest.

FamilySearch Personal Ancestral File can convert PAF files to the GEDCOM format ( .GED files). To convert a PAF file with Personal Ancestral File, select File → Export .

Programs that open PAF files

Updated: March 12, 2024

PARIS Audio File

A PAF file may also be an audio file saved in the PARIS audio format. It contains audio recorded by Ensoniq PARIS, a digital audio workstation (DAW) that was released in 1998 but is now discontinued.

Alhough Ensoniq PARIS is now discontinued, the software and the PAF format continue to be used by some audio enthusiasts. The format is supported by several audio programs, including Winamp, WaveLab, and Reaper (with libsndfile wrapper installed). You can also convert the format to the more common .WAV format in PARIS if you have access to the program.

Programs that open PAF files

Updated: March 8, 2018

Packed Animation File

A PAF file contains a Packed Animation File (PAF) used by Heart of Darkness, a puzzle-solving PC game released in 1998. It stores one or more animated cutscenes shown during gameplay.

PAF files are rare since they are only used in the Heart of Darkness game developed by Amazing Studio. You will most likely only encounter a PAF file if you dump it from a Heart of Darkness game disc.

After dumping the game contents onto your computer, you will find a large hod.paf file that stores a large number of individual PAF files linked together. Each of the PAF files stores uncompressed audio data interleaved with video data.

There is no known program that can open and play PAF animations. However, you can convert the animation in a PAF file to a more common video file type with FFmpeg . After converting the file, you can play it with a media player, such as Microsoft Windows Media Player or Apple QuickTime Player .

Programs that open PAF files

Updated: September 2, 2020