Cannot find a viewer to open .CDR files, wich are files created by Corel Draw

Already tried that... doesn't work.  I use that app for a lot of stuff and was surprised that it couldn't open it.

For XnView, if you go to "Formats" on the right hand side, there is a list that shows all of the file extensions that XnView will open.  Below is what it looks like for Corel.  Notice that it says "preview", so I can't open it but I can see the thumbnail (which is basically just a teaser):

Description                                 Read    Write         Extensions              Legend

Core IDC                                        X                               idc
Corel Draw Bitmap (preview)       X                               cdr
Corel Draw Pattern (preview)      X                               pat

Sorry, LEFT hand side, on XnView's website, not right-hand.

I asked my boss about this as well and she said that she has not been able to ever find a Corel Draw Viewer either, so I guess I'm not insane.

Maybe a version problem with Corel?
Go to the http://www.Corel.com/    website and download a trial of the latest version.
They also have support page
http://support.corel.com/scripts/rightnow.cfg/php.exe/enduser/std_alp.php

which version of Coral here is two

http://support.corel.com/scripts/rightnow.cfg/php.exe/enduser/std_alp.php?p_sid=twNbrgIi&p_lva=&p_li=&p_page=1&p_prod_lvl1=15&p_prod_lvl2=%7Eany%7E&p_search_text=+.CDR+files+not+viewable&p_new_search=1&p_search_type=3&p_sort_by=dflt


http://support.corel.com/scripts/rightnow.cfg/php.exe/enduser/std_alp.php?p_sid=twNbrgIi&p_lva=&p_li=&p_page=1&p_prod_lvl1=16&p_prod_lvl2=%7Eany%7E&p_search_text=+.CDR+files+not+viewable&p_new_search=1&p_search_type=3&p_sort_by=dflt

The easiest way to oped .cdr documents is to use Corel Draw. :) If you still don't want to buy the product you can try doing it with Microsoft Word.
As: Insert -> Picture -> From file.

Good luck,
cheers

If I try the Word method, after I select the .CDR file and click "insert", I receive an error stating "the was an error inserting the image"...  Yes, the easiest way would be to just install Corel Draw, but I just don't understand why there wouldn't be a viewer out there...

I could have the user download the trial version, but after 30 days or whatever I would have to uninstall and then reinstall it again... not about to do that.

there is thumb viewer but its not free  does have a trial.
http://www.softfields.com/downe.php
You could  try universal viewer I cant say it supports cdr this file will be the first if it doesnt, so far every file I dropped onto it played, but as I dont run Coral Draw,
 but it free and does come in handy, even supports dvd believe it or not, let me know it the cdr will
play on it.
http://www.uvviewsoft.com/

PictView 1.94<< supports .cdr
http://www.pictview.com/descript.htm

ifran viewer
http://www.irfanview.com/
hope one works

1. ST Thumbnails only gives me the thumbnail of the image that the user would be opening.  You cannot open a .CDR file, copy the whole image and then paste it into Word or something...

2. As for Universal Viewer, this was the only application that I came accross so far that actually had the option to click File>Open.  It opens up a .CDR file but on the screen it displays garbled text like this: ç?                    

ç?     à À     $@$ý¼^ÿÆ  «ÿ
a      N ¿ÿ M A D E I N U . S . A .     Z   ~   é   b
 ¬
         G  l     Å     ·ÿB ¸ÿ       
ç?                    
ç?     à À     $@$ý¼^ÿÆ  «ÿ



a      N ¿ÿ M A D E I N U . S . A .     Z   ~   é   b
 ¬
         G  l     Å     ·ÿ ¹ÿ ìÿ
ÿ
¬
¬ÿ

   @ ~ÿ
"            
ç?                    
ç?     à À     $@4 ÿ

 
a        
&

d d                    :ÿ  @ aÿ   M A D E   I N   U . S . A .                              Sÿ ëÿ óÿ4ùÎ

3. PictView was just plain weird.  Maybe I was using it wrong??  I downloaded the .zip file, extracted it and then launched pictview.exe and the DOS GUI of it came up.  I browsed to a .CDR file and it opened up but the image being displayed looked like it was in like having a 10 X 10 pixel resolution on your monitor...  I could somewhat make out what the picture was and some of the larger pictures within the image but it was in extremely distorted.  I read the documentation for Pictview and it says:

"As a default, MS Windows don't  provide more XMS memory than 2MB. This may
be insufficient  for large images. I suggest you to create a shortcut (or
a PIF file in case of Win3.1; in fact, a shortcut is  represented by a PIF
file). Specify  concrete amount of memory you think would be engough. Just
start  with 2MB and if PictView  complains, increase the value and restart
PictView."

But it does not tell you how to increase the memory...  The images may be too large for the app and maybe that's why it's not displaying properly.

4. IrfanView: I have used this before and forgot to try it during my initial downloading/testing of apps to open a CDR file with.  I installed it and tried to open a CDR file and received the same output as PictView (very very low-res images, cannot make out pictures or words) but the GUI is a lot better, because it's not DOS!!!  I sent an email to IrfanView's support and I'm going to see what they say.  I attached a screenshot to that e-mail so they can see what i'm seeing when I open the files.  Maybe I'm doing something wrong and they can tell me what setting to change or something.  This one is the closest app so far.

E-Mail to IrfanView Tech Support:

Does IrfanView open up .CDR files?  I tried to open a bunch of  them
(Corel Draw files) and the image opened but it looked like the  
resolution on the image was extremely low.  The attached file is  what
is being displayed.

Hi,
Yes, but only the preview/thumbnail image.
Sorry, I have no CDR documentation, how to decode the full image.

I'm starting to think that it's impossible...

it is posible using the Coral, most alternate programs such as ifran view will only show the headers.
Maybe worth considering using a trail version of Coral the upgraded version. I undertand it does seem so costly these programs.