What is the HOW2 file format?
A .how2 file is an interactive on-screen guide built with Visma Performit Player, a Windows help tool from the Nordic business-software vendor Visma. Each file packages a single walkthrough: the step text, the screenshots captured for each step, and the focus arrows that point at the button or field a user should act on. When the player runs a .how2 file, it replays those steps as an overlay that sits on top of the program the guide is teaching.
The format was used for end-user training and support, so a vendor or IT team could ship ready-made "how-to" guidance next to an application. It is a niche format, and there is no published specification for its internal layout.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA .how2 file is a guide package holding text and screenshots, not an executable, so it carries no inherent code-execution risk. The larger concern is practical: Visma Performit Player is discontinued, so obtaining a safe installer today can be difficult. Only download the player from a Visma-controlled source and avoid unofficial mirrors.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open HOW2 files
Windows1 app
Visma Performit Player
Free Install the discontinued Visma Performit Player, then double-click the .how2 file to replay the guide as an on-screen overlay. Technical details
deep spec| Encoding | Binary container |
| Container | Proprietary package holding the assets of a single on-screen guide |
| Compression | Assets (screenshots, text) are bundled and usually compressed inside the package |
| Encryption | None documented |
| Typical size | Tens of kilobytes to a few megabytes, driven mainly by the number and resolution of embedded screenshots |
| Structure | Bundles the parts of one interactive guide: step text, captured screenshots and focus/pointer arrows that highlight where to click. Visma Performit Player reads the package and replays the steps as an overlay on top of the target application. |
| Integrity | None documented |
| Platforms | Windows |
| Notes | Produced and consumed by Visma Performit Player, a guide/e-learning tool from the Nordic business-software vendor Visma. The player is discontinued and no longer maintained, but installed copies still open existing .how2 files by double-clicking. No public file-format specification is available. |
HOW2 conversions
Community Q&A
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Frequently asked questions
What program opens a .how2 file?
.how2 files on Windows. Double-clicking the file launches the player and replays the guide. The player is no longer maintained, so you need an existing installation.What is inside a .how2 file?
Can I convert a .how2 file to PDF?
Is Visma Performit Player still available?
.how2 files, but there is no current official download or maintenance.
