What Is a PIF Folder?
The PIF folder in an older Microsoft Windows installation acts as a storage repository for MS-DOS PIF -- Program Information File -- files. Windows should automatically create these files in the PIF folder whenever you click to open a DOS program file. This file type is sometimes used to camouflage viruses, and should never be opened from an email attachment. Some other programs also use this extension, but their PIF files won't work with DOS programs.
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Considerations
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While newer versions of Windows can create and use PIF files, most people will never use this file type. PIFs are necessary only to run MS-DOS games and word processors or other obsolete programs previous to Windows 95, and aren't required for any software released after about 1995. If you do not use old software, you can safely delete any PIF file you encounter.
Function
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PIF files contain information that tells Windows how to run non-Windows applications, especially programs meant for use in MS-DOS, the operating system that was the precursor to Windows, used in the 1980s and 1990s. This information may include the location of the program file, what size window to use and how much memory Windows needs for each program. Most users who run older DOS games and utilities will never see the PIF files for their programs, because Windows uses these files seamlessly.
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PIF Creation
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Windows automatically creates a file with the PIF extension whenever you open a DOS-based program, such as an old game. By default, the operating system stores this in the same folder with the executable. Sometimes, such as when you run an MS-DOS program from a CD, Windows can't write to the originating folder. When Windows can't store the PIF file with the executable, it uses the PIF folder for storage instead.
Virus PIFs
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PIF files are very easy to create, and can contain information other than the basic program data. A hacker can make any malicious file into a PIF file simply by changing the file extension to .pif. These factors made this file type an attractive host for viruses dispersed primarily via email attachments in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This kind of virus is no longer considered a major threat.
Other Programs
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Not all PIFs you encounter online or in email will be viruses. Older Macintosh applications sometimes use the .pif extensions for compressed file archives. A few obscure or obsolete applications also used this file type, including CIP3 Print Production format, vector graphics on older IBM mainframes, and IBM's OS/2 operating system. Most users will never encounter these kinds of PIF files.
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References
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