Dat file how can open

Most types of files do. If you think the DAT file you have should be "opened" or "used" in a specific way, you'll need to figure out if it's text-based , video-based, an attachment, or some other kind of DAT file.

How and where you got the DAT file usually provides the necessary information to narrow down your investigative work, but here's a lot more help to figure it all out. Some DAT files are text-based and are very easy to read with a text editor. For example, one DAT file on your computer might be located here:. Since you're not sure what program should be used to open this DAT file, your first try should be with a text editor. Windows Notepad is the basic text editor built-in to Windows but you can use something more advanced from our Best Free Text Editors list.

In this example, you're able to see all the text in the DAT file and easily understand what it's used for. It's also obvious in this example that the file is associated with an Adobe program, hence the "Adobe" folder within the file's path located in the title bar. These types of DAT files may be locked files that aren't easy to delete, move, or edit. You'll probably only find a locked DAT file if it's a configuration file that's always in use by a program, like those found in the program's installation directory.

These types of DAT files will probably never need to be manually opened or manipulated in any way. The idea is to see where the DAT file is on your computer. Just like with the Adobe example above, if the DAT file is in a program folder that appears to be linked with a CyberLink product, there's a good chance that it's the program that will open it.

If you're sure it's a video file but you don't know what program to use to play it, try VLC. Again, most DAT files located in program directories on your computer are going to be rather useless because most if not all of it will be gibberish computer code. A DAT file you receive as an email attachment usually comes in the form of a winmail.

In this scenario, you should save the DAT file to your computer and either upload it to Winmaildat. Klammer can open winmail. That attachment might ultimately end up being any other kind of file, like a document, an image, etc.

DriveImage XML is an example of another program that uses DAT files for an entirely different purpose than all of the programs mentioned above. In this particular backup program , the entirety of the backup is stored in a single DAT file, accompanied by an XML file.

This DAT file could in no way be viewed in a text editor, video editing program, or anything like that. There are so many other programs that use DAT files, too. Bitcoin Core uses a file by the name of wallet. Piriform applications store portability and registration information in DAT files. No doubt there are dozens or hundreds of others. Some files look similar to this one even though they really aren't related. If your file won't open with these suggestions, double-check the file extension.

Similarly, converting the. For example, you can open a. Another way of reading and opening. Make sure to read out article on how to open a file with no extension as it explains the process in more detail. Before renaming the DAT file though, configure Windows to show file extensions properly.

We hope you now know how to read and open DAT files in Windows. Let us know which of the three methods worked for you by sharing your comment in the section below. Elsie is a technology writer and editor with a special focus on Windows, Android and iOS. She writes about software, electronics and other tech subjects, her ultimate goal being to help people out with useful solutions to their daily tech issues in a simple, straightforward and unbiased style. Read Elsie's Full Bio.

We hate spam too, unsubscribe at any time. Reading: How to Read and Open. DAT Files in Windows. To do this, right-click the DAT file, select Open with from the menu, then choose an application from the list. You can click More apps to show other programs than the ones suggested.

If you wanted to associate DAT files with this program not recommended , you could check Always use this app to open. Both of the options above could leave you with a file that's full of gibberish, usually because you opened it in the wrong program. However, you may be able to gather what kind of file it really was. For example, if you opened a DAT file that originally was a video file in Notepad, you might find a hint that it's actually an MP4. Try opening the file in a suitable program and see whether that gives you a better result.

You have to find the specific program that created the file to open it for many other types of DAT files. Once you successfully opened the DAT file, you're at least halfway there to converting it.

But once again, there are several options. You changed the file extension, and now that you opened the file in Microsoft Word, it looks fine. In fact, you already "converted" your file. And there you go.

It wasn't that hard, was it? Now let's get a little more serious. All the strategies above didn't work, and your file doesn't display properly.