Here you are, stuck with a DAT file that was supposed to be a Word document and you don't know what to do with it.
You're probably wondering what a DAT file is in the first place.
In a nutshell, DAT files contain data in text or binary format. You will usually find them as winmail.dat files in email attachments, created by Microsoft Exchange servers. But many other programs can also create DAT files. So if the name doesn't give it away, it's hard to tell if it's text, images, movies, or something else entirely. of different file formats. Sometimes both you and Windows have no idea how to open a strange file. Here is how you can find out how to open those files. Read more.
Giving advice on how to open a DAT file from an unknown source is difficult because there are so many options, depending on the original source of the file. But let's say you were supposed to receive a Word document and what you received was a document with a DAT file extension. Basically, you have two easy options to open that file.
First, you could try changing the file extension. In case you don't see the file extensions in Windows, navigate to the folder that contains your DAT file. In File Explorer , switch to View and click Options . In the Folder Options window, switch to View tab once again and uncheck the Hide extensions for known file types option .
You can now go back to your file and change the file extension from .dat to .doc, then open the file with Microsoft Word.
Second, you can simply try to open the DAT file with Microsoft Word or Notepad or any other program that you suspect created the original file. To do this, right-click the DAT file, select Open With from the menu, then choose an app from the list. You can click More apps Show programs other than those suggested.
If you want to associate DAT files with this program (not recommended), you can check Always use this application to open .dat files .
Both of the above options could leave you with a file full of gibberish, usually because you opened it in the wrong program. However, you may be able to collect what type of file it actually was. For example, if you opened a DAT file that was originally a video file in Notepad, you might find a clue that it's actually an image. Try opening the file in the respective program and see if that gives you a better result.
Once you have successfully opened the DAT file, you are halfway to converting How to convert any file format online with free tools How to convert any file format online with free tools If you need to convert a file, here is the list list of places you should go. Read more But once again, there are several options..
Let's say we're dealing with a DAT file that was originally a DOC file. You changed the file extension and now that you've opened the file in Microsoft Word, it looks fine. In fact, already "converted" your file. Congratulations!
If you managed to open the file with Word, the easiest way to “convert” your DAT file to DOC is to save the document using Microsoft Word. And there you go. It wasn't that hard, was it?
Now let's be a little more serious. All the above strategies did not work, your file is not displayed correctly. Maybe it's time to use a file converter. The Mega Guide to Media File Conversion Tools in Windows. The Mega Guide to Media File Conversion Tools in Windows. Wondering how to best convert that media file? This is your guide out of the media jungle. We compile the most relevant media file conversion tools and show you how to use them. Read more.
If Microsoft Outlook Messed With Your Email Attachments 10 Quick Tips To Improve Outlook 10 Quick Tips To Improve Outlook Are you using Outlook to its full potential? Become an Outlook master with our selection of lesser-known tips and tricks and watch your productivity take off. Read More If the file you need to decrypt is called winmail.dat or ATT0001.dat , you have certainly come to the right place.
From the Home tab, click Choose file to find the DAT file on your computer. You can also enter a URL. Please note that the file size limit is 10 MB. Click start and wait for the results.
Winmaildat.com will tell you where the file came from, giving you an idea of what program you can use to open it.
There really is no more to DAT files than that. To successfully recover data from a DAT file or convert it back to its original file, you must know the original file type or source How to change and repair broken file type associations in Windows 7 How to change and repair broken file type associations broken file in Windows 7 This article will discuss what file type associations are, how you can change them in general, and why so many people are having problems with .lnk file associations in Windows. If you've been running in... Read More .
Where did you find the DAT files and how did you find out where they came from?
