Free online TMP to MOV converter

What the TMP format is

.tmp is a generic temporary-file extension, not a standardized document format. Word processors, spreadsheet applications, PDF tools, media editors, browsers, installers, and operating systems create temporary files for autosave data, recovery copies, caches, intermediate exports, or locked working files.

The filename usually does not identify the internal format. A document application may create a TMP file containing text or structured document data, whereas a video application may use TMP for an unfinished media file. Temporary files can also be incomplete, encrypted, or dependent on the application that created them.

What the MOV format is

.mov is a QuickTime Movie container that can store video, audio, subtitles, timecode, and metadata. It is commonly accepted by video editors, media players, Apple software, and production workflows.

MOV is a container rather than a single codec. H.264 video with AAC audio gives broad playback compatibility; ProRes or another editing codec preserves more quality but produces much larger files. Changing a filename from .tmp to .mov does not convert the contents.

How to actually convert TMP to MOV

1. Work on a copy

Close the program that created the file, copy the TMP file to another folder, and keep the original unchanged. Temporary files may still be locked or actively written by the source application.

2. Identify the internal format

On macOS or Linux, run:

file input.tmp

For a possible media file, inspect streams with FFmpeg:

ffprobe input.tmp

On Windows, FFmpeg's ffprobe.exe provides the same information from Command Prompt or PowerShell. If the result reports video and audio streams, the file may be convertible. If it reports a text document, application data, an incomplete file, or no recognized format, MOV conversion will not repair it.

3. Convert a valid video-containing TMP file

Install FFmpeg, then use this command for a broadly compatible MOV:

ffmpeg -i input.tmp -c:v libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p -c:a aac -movflags +faststart output.mov

If FFprobe shows that the existing streams are already suitable for a MOV container, avoid unnecessary re-encoding with:

ffmpeg -i input.tmp -map 0 -c copy output.mov

Stream copying is faster and preserves the encoded quality, but it fails when the codecs or damaged timestamps are incompatible with the MOV container. In that case, use the first command or transcode with the settings required by the target editor.

4. Use the original application when possible

If the TMP file belongs to a video editor, reopen it from that application and use its export command, such as File → Export or File → Share → Movie. The application may need project files, source media, or recovery metadata that FFmpeg cannot reconstruct.

If the file is an ordinary document temporary file, open or recover it in the creating program first. To make a document into a movie, export its pages as images or PDF, then assemble those pages as a slideshow video; that is a document-to-video production workflow, not a direct TMP conversion.

You can also try the free converter on 101convert.com without installing software, but it can process the file only if its contents are recognized as a supported input format.

Quality, compatibility, and limitations

A TMP file that was created before an export completed may contain only a partial stream, missing headers, or invalid timestamps. Renaming it or transcoding it cannot restore missing frames. A successful FFmpeg conversion also does not guarantee that the recovered file represents the complete original video.

Use H.264/AAC for general playback. Use ProRes when the MOV is intended for editing and storage rather than distribution, for example:

ffmpeg -i input.tmp -c:v prores_ks -profile:v 3 -c:a pcm_s16le output.mov

Before deleting the TMP file, check the resulting MOV from start to finish and confirm its duration, audio synchronization, resolution, and frame rate.