What is the MEM file format?
.mem files are associated with the database management software FoxPro, developed originally by Fox Software and later by Microsoft as Visual FoxPro.
.mem files store memory variables and array entries created with FoxPro. They are written by the SAVE TO command and restored with RESTORE FROM. .mem files can be used as backup files; FoxPro can use them to restore session state should the need arise. Each record holds a variable name (up to ~10 characters), a type byte (C for Character, N for Numeric, L for Logical, D for Date, etc.) and the value - distinct from the table records stored in .DBF files.
.mem is a binary file format and requires a dedicated tool or hex editor to access its contents. .mem files are typically small and are used for preserving in-session variable state as a lightweight backup, rather than for formal disaster recovery. The format dates from the late 1980s and remained unchanged through Visual FoxPro 9.0; Microsoft ended FoxPro support in 2015.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA FoxPro .mem is a passive binary data file of saved variables - it contains no executable code and does not run, so opening or inspecting it is low-risk. The only practical concern is data, not malware: a .mem may hold values a program was working with (potentially including sensitive data), so treat it as you would any application data file. Deleting a transient .mem can break a FoxPro app's saved state, so don't remove one a running application depends on. Avoid dubious "MEM file opener" download sites - the real way to read it is the FoxPro runtime or a hex editor.
Format details
in a nutshellFULL NAMEFoxPro Memory Variable Fileaka FoxPro variable file, Visual FoxPro MEM file
DEVELOPERMicrosoft (Visual FoxPro); originally Fox Software (FoxBASE/FoxPro)since Late 1980s with FoxBASE/FoxPro (xBase family); carried into Visual FoxPro (1995-2007)
CATEGORYBackup Files
MIME TYPEapplication/octet-stream
TYPEBinary file storing saved memory variables and arrays from an xBase/FoxPro session
This extension is also used by…
- Generic memory dump / RAM image - Some debuggers, emulators and games write .mem as a raw memory dump or saved RAM image - a different, content-specific use unrelated to FoxPro variables.
- FoxPro/xBase variable save (Clarion can also read) - The Clarion environment can interoperate with xBase data; the dominant meaning here is the FoxPro SAVE-TO memory-variable file.
Programs that open MEM files
Windows3 apps
Microsoft Visual FoxPro
Paid In the Command window run 'RESTORE FROM myfile.mem ADDITIVE' then 'LIST MEMORY' to view the restored variables. (VFP is discontinued; use an existing install/runtime.)
Clarion (SoftVelocity)
Paid Use within a Clarion/xBase-interop workflow that can read FoxPro data; primarily a development environment, not a one-click MEM viewer.
Hex editor (HxD)
Free Open the .mem to inspect the raw bytes - variable names are often readable as ASCII, useful for forensics when FoxPro isn't available. 
Linux1 app
Hex editor / xBase tooling
Paid No native FoxPro on Linux; inspect raw bytes with a hex editor, or use an xBase-compatible library to parse memory-variable records programmatically. Technical details
deep spec| File type | Binary proprietary memory-variable dump |
| Byte order | Little-endian |
| Variable name limit | Up to 10 characters (xBase naming convention) |
| Supported data types | Character (C), Numeric (N), Logical (L), Date (D), Currency (Y) |
| Array handling | Arrays expand into consecutive per-element records within the file |
| Write command | SAVE TO <filename> in FoxPro / Visual FoxPro |
| Read command | RESTORE FROM <filename> in FoxPro / Visual FoxPro |
| Typical file size | Bytes to a few KB, scales with variable count and size |
| Checksum / integrity | None; no built-in error detection |
| Associated operating systems | DOS (FoxBASE/FoxPro), Windows (Visual FoxPro) |
| MIME type | application/octet-stream |
| File signature | No documented fixed magic bytes; identified by origin (FoxPro project context) |
| Related formats | .dbf (table data), .fpt (memo fields), .prg (program source), .dbc (database container) |
| Released | Late 1980s with FoxBASE/FoxPro (xBase family); carried into Visual FoxPro (1995-2007) |
| Latest version | Visual FoxPro 9.0 (2004); VFP support ended 2015 - format unchanged since |
| Specification | learn.microsoft.com |
MEM conversions
Possible
.MEM .DBFGUIDE
Conversion is possible, but only inside Visual FoxPro - RESTORE FROM the .mem, then write the variable values…
How to convert
.MEM .TXTGUIDE
You can get a plain-text dump of a MEM file's contents, but only through Visual FoxPro itself - there is no…
How to convert
.MEM .CSVGUIDE
Yes, with Visual FoxPro -- restore the variables, move them into a table, and export with COPY TO ... TYPE…
How to convert
Community Q&A
asked by users
J
Frequently asked questions
What is a MEM file?
In FoxPro/xBase it's a memory-variable file: a binary snapshot of the variables and arrays a program had in memory, written by the SAVE TO command and reloaded with RESTORE FROM. It's an internal helper/backup file, not a document.
How do I open a MEM file?
With the program that made it - Visual FoxPro: 'RESTORE FROM file.mem ADDITIVE' then 'LIST MEMORY' shows the variables. There's no mainstream standalone viewer; a hex editor can reveal the variable names if FoxPro isn't available.
Can I convert a MEM file to a readable format?
Only via FoxPro: restore the variables, then write them to a .dbf table, .csv or a text dump (LIST MEMORY to a file). There's no offline converter because the values only make sense once the FoxPro runtime reads them.
Is it safe to delete a MEM file?
Usually yes if it's a leftover, but a FoxPro application may rely on it to restore saved state - deleting it can lose that state or cause errors on the next run. Back it up before removing it if you're unsure.
Why won't my MEM file open in Notepad or a normal viewer?
It's a binary FoxPro file, not text, so a text editor shows mostly gibberish (though variable names may be partly readable). Use Visual FoxPro to restore the variables, or a hex editor to inspect the bytes.
Is every .mem a FoxPro file?
No. Many emulators, debuggers and games write .mem as a raw memory/RAM dump - a different format that shares the extension. Check which program created the file to know which kind you have.
References
1Microsoft Learn - Visual FoxPro documentation (SAVE TO / RESTORE FROM)learn.microsoft.com
2Microsoft - Visual FoxPro product lifecycle / end of supportlearn.microsoft.com
