# Where do I get tiff uncompressed decompressor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 7, 2007, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-get-tiff-uncompressed-decompressor/418394 "2007-09-07T18:34:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aluminumdisc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@aluminumdisc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aluminumdisc)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2007, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-get-tiff-uncompressed-decompressor/418394/1 "2007-09-07T18:34:34Z")
I’m trying to open a document and I need this, it is a mac/PC thing. Is there a place to download it? I seem to be a white belt in google-fu today thanks! AD ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-get-tiff-uncompressed-decompressor/418394/2 "2007-09-07T18:36:54Z")
Your question doesn’t make any sense. If the TIFF is uncompressed, it’s doesn’t need a decompressor. What are you trying to do with the TIFF? ---
**Author:** ![aluminumdisc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@aluminumdisc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aluminumdisc)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2007, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-get-tiff-uncompressed-decompressor/418394/3 "2007-09-07T18:45:50Z")
[QUOTE=beowulff] Your question doesn’t make any sense. If the TIFF is uncompressed, it’s doesn’t need a decompressor. What are you trying to do with the TIFF? [/QUOTE] trying to open a picture that was sent to me and it says: Quicktime and tiff (uncompressed) decompressor are needed to see this picture, ---
**Author:** ![flex727](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@flex727](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flex727)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2007, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-get-tiff-uncompressed-decompressor/418394/4 "2007-09-07T19:09:53Z")
If your OS is Windows, I highly recommend the free graphics viewer [Irfanview](http://www.irfanview.com/). I don’t think they have a Mac version. ---
**Author:** ![aluminumdisc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@aluminumdisc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aluminumdisc)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2007, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-get-tiff-uncompressed-decompressor/418394/5 "2007-09-07T19:34:18Z")
[QUOTE=flex727] If your OS is Windows, I highly recommend the free graphics viewer [Irfanview](http://www.irfanview.com/). I don’t think they have a Mac version. [/QUOTE] Thanks I have Vista, I just gave it a try and it didn’t work. The image was made on a MAC ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2007, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-get-tiff-uncompressed-decompressor/418394/6 "2007-09-07T19:51:22Z")
Do you know who made it? If so, have them save it in another format. Or, send it to someone like (me) and have them do the same. ---
**Author:** ![aluminumdisc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@aluminumdisc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aluminumdisc)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2007, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-get-tiff-uncompressed-decompressor/418394/7 "2007-09-07T19:54:41Z")
[QUOTE=beowulff] Do you know who made it? If so, have them save it in another format. Or, send it to someone like (me) and have them do the same. [/QUOTE] I’ll try to have it saved as something else I guess, I thought it was just a small program that i could download but I can’t find it. thanks! ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2007, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-get-tiff-uncompressed-decompressor/418394/8 "2007-09-07T20:01:55Z")
TIFF is an odd format - under the TIFF umbrella, there are lots of image format and compression variations. I’m surprised, but not astonished, that you can’t open it… ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-get-tiff-uncompressed-decompressor/418394/9 "2007-09-07T20:39:58Z")
TIFFs created on a Mac have the bytes switched around compared to TIFFs expected by the PC. You should be able to view them on a PC by installing Quicktime, available for free from the Apple website. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2007, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-get-tiff-uncompressed-decompressor/418394/10 "2007-09-08T03:04:06Z")
According to my research, the problem is that you’re trying to open a file created on a Mac that’s had a TIFF inserted. MacOS uses Quicktime to compress it, and PC’s can’t open it, not even with Quicktime installed. The document needs to be recreated; better yet, if it’s only an image, just have him save the image as a JPG (or a naked TIFF if loss is that much of a factor) and send it attached (NOT inserted) to an email.