What is the SNP file format?
.snp is a file generated by Microsoft Access based on a database report. A .snp file stores all the information from the given report along with its visual elements - text, images, and page layout - as a fixed, print-ready snapshot.
.snp is a so-called "snapshot" file: it stores the state of the report data at the time it was generated and cannot be updated. The file does not require active access to the database and can be opened using the free Microsoft Snapshot Viewer (snapview.exe) without a copy of Access installed. Therefore snapshot files were commonly used for storing report backups and to allow users to access such reports without requiring a costly copy of Access - or to distribute results by email to recipients who had no Access licence at all.
Each page of the report is stored internally as an EMF graphic (Enhanced Metafile), giving the snapshot a layout faithful to the original printed output regardless of the viewer's machine.
Microsoft has since retired the Snapshot Viewer download and removed .snp export from newer versions of Access; PDF - available via the built-in "Save As PDF/XPS" export added in Access 2007 - has replaced it for distributing fixed-layout reports. The Snapshot Viewer relied on an ActiveX control that received security advisories, so legacy .snp files are best handled by converting them to .pdf using a third-party SNP-to-PDF tool rather than running the original viewer.
Security & safety
RISK: MEDIUMThe .snp data itself is passive, but the legacy Snapshot Viewer ActiveX control (snapview.ocx) was the subject of Microsoft security advisories about remote exploitation, especially when invoked from a web page. Don't install the old viewer on a modern internet-facing machine just to read one file - prefer converting to PDF. Treat .snp attachments from unknown senders with the same caution as any old document.
Format details
in a nutshell- SnapView / various 'snapshot' captures - Some screen-capture and database tools also use .snp for unrelated snapshot data.
- Game/emulator save snapshots - A few emulators and games store save-state snapshots as .snp - unrelated to Access.
Programs that open SNP files
Windows3 apps
Microsoft Snapshot Viewer (snapview.exe)
Free Install the legacy Snapshot Viewer and double-click the .snp to view/print. Note: the download was retired by Microsoft and the ActiveX had security advisories - use cautiously.
Microsoft Access (with original database)
Paid If you have the source .mdb/.accdb, open the report and File > Export > PDF instead of relying on the .snp. Modern Access cannot create .snp.
SnapView / third-party SNP-to-PDF converter
Freemium Use a dedicated SNP converter to turn the snapshot into PDF when the original database is gone (verify the tool's reputation first). Technical details
deep spec| Developer | Microsoft |
| Format type | Proprietary binary fixed-layout report snapshot |
| MIME type | application/x-msaccess |
| Encoding | Binary, little-endian |
| Internal page format | Each report page rendered and stored as an Enhanced Metafile (EMF) |
| Compression | None - raw EMF page data embedded directly |
| Typical file size | 20 KB - 20 MB, grows with page count and embedded graphics |
| Associated platform | Windows only |
| Viewer application | Microsoft Snapshot Viewer (snapview.exe); or Microsoft Access with the source database |
| File identification | No documented public magic bytes; identified by file association with snapview.exe |
| Superseded by | PDF via the Access 2007+ built-in Save As PDF/XPS export |
| Security | Snapshot Viewer ActiveX control received security advisories; running on modern Windows not recommended |
| Color support | Up to 24-bit, inheriting the EMF graphics color depth |
| Update capability | None - snapshot is frozen at export time; source database must be reopened to regenerate |
| Released | Access 97 / 2000 (Snapshot format, late 1990s) |
| Latest version | Last supported around Access 2007/2010; Snapshot output removed from later Access |
| Specification | learn.microsoft.com |
SNP conversions
Community Q&A
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