# Can I open a single .raw file without the .mhd file? 

**URL:** <https://discourse.slicer.org/t/can-i-open-a-single-raw-file-without-the-mhd-file/13706>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [September 26, 2020, 4:04am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/can-i-open-a-single-raw-file-without-the-mhd-file/13706 "2020-09-26T04:04:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![kevin.x](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/kevin.x/32/7551_2.png) [@kevin.x](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/kevin.x)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 4:04am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/can-i-open-a-single-raw-file-without-the-mhd-file/13706/1 "2020-09-26T04:04:21Z")

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Hi all, I got some labeled medical images in .raw format. Can I open a single .raw file without the .mhd file using 3D Slicer? And if not, is there any tool to convert the .raw file to .nii file?  
Much appreciated!

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**Author:** ![lassoan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/lassoan/32/13_2.png) [@lassoan](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/lassoan)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 4:07am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/can-i-open-a-single-raw-file-without-the-mhd-file/13706/2 "2020-09-26T04:07:00Z")

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Yes, you can open a raw file with Slicer. Of course the application still needs to know how to interpret that raw file, so you need to specify this data in a separate text header file (for example, a .nhdr file). You can conveniently generate such a header file using [RawImageGuess extension](https://github.com/acetylsalicyl/SlicerRawImageGuess#slicerrawimageguess).

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**Author:** ![kevin.x](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/kevin.x/32/7551_2.png) [@kevin.x](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/kevin.x)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2020, 1:10am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/can-i-open-a-single-raw-file-without-the-mhd-file/13706/3 "2020-09-28T01:10:03Z")

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Thank you Iassoan, it works! I read the information from the original image and then used “RawImageGuess” to generate the header for the .raw file which is the labelled image.  
It confused me initially as I can’t find the “RawImageGuess” module in my 3D Slicer for mac, and I finally found it in the Windows version. Is it possible to install this module in the 3D Slicer for mac?

Much appreciated!

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**Author:** ![lassoan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/lassoan/32/13_2.png) [@lassoan](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/lassoan)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2020, 1:37am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/can-i-open-a-single-raw-file-without-the-mhd-file/13706/4 "2020-09-28T01:37:28Z")

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RawImageGuess extension is available for Mac, too, but probably only for Slicer-4.11. Which Slicer version did you install?

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**Author:** ![kevin.x](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/kevin.x/32/7551_2.png) [@kevin.x](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/kevin.x)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2020, 1:45am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/can-i-open-a-single-raw-file-without-the-mhd-file/13706/5 "2020-09-28T01:45:17Z")

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I installed V4.10.2，the stable version I think. I will update it to the latest version. Thanks!