An XPI file is one that is used by the internet browser Mozilla Firefox
. This is similar to a zip file and is basically an archive that is represented in a compressed way in the form of an XPI file. These files are essentially used by Mozilla to add plug-ins and add-on to its web browser Firefox. Plug-ins and add-ons are basically the applications that allow you to change the specific details about your internet browser. For example, you can change the theme of your browser only if you have that particular plug-in installed on your computer. Plug-ins can also add language supports and manage bookmarks and downloads for you. In short, installing plug-ins makes life easier for you. An XPI file, in addition to adding plug-ins and add-ons to your browser can also help you organize your archives. Some XPI files also help you to automatically update your software and install new software if your computer needs it. Usually when you install an XPI file it automatically installs all the plug-ins and add-ons that you may require. In addition to that, another good thing about XPI files is that they run on all major operating systems like Windows, Mac and Linux. In fact, XPI files will run wherever Mozilla can run.
Usually XPI files can be opened by Mozilla. In other cases, XPI files can also be opened using any unzipping application as these are compressed archives after all. WinZip or EasyZip can be used quite conveniently to extract the files from a XPI document. If in case you install a plug-in or an add-on but it is not automatically installed by the XPI file on to your browser then you can simply install it manually. You just have to drag and drop the concerned XPI file into the Mozilla Firefox window and it will be installed.