A DAT file is a type of data file that holds particular details about the application that created it. This file is always in the .dat file extension format, which is capable of holding any kind of information, including PDFs, audio files, video files, and almost any other kind of file. These files would have the .dat extension because DAT files are referenced by a lot of desktop and mobile apps.
You must first ascertain what kind of information a file with the .dat extension contains before you can open it. Since most DAT files are text-based, text editors such as Notepad, Notepad++, VS Code, and others can be used to open them. If you open the DAT file with a text editor and the information inside is not in plain text, you will see some illegible, erratic text. Your media player can open the DAT file if you are certain that the content is audio or video.
I’m going to open an MP3 file in the example below. Almost all DAT files are composed of plain text and can be viewed using a text editor like Notepad or TextEdit. Choose a media player to open your DAT file if it contains audio or video data. Adobe Acrobat can be used to open the file if the information is in PDF format.
Let’s discuss the software that opens a .DAT file.
You must first ascertain what kind of information a file with the .dat extension contains before you can open it. Since most DAT files are text-based, text editors such as Notepad, Notepad++, VS Code, and others can be used to open them. If the data in the DAT file is not in plain text and you open it in a text editor, you will see illegible, erratic text similar to this:
Your media player can open the DAT file if you are certain that the content is audio or video. Likewise, Adobe Reader can open it if it’s a PDF. If you want to open a DAT file whose contents you are unsure of, you might be able to find out by closely examining the folder name that contains it. You shouldn’t try to open a DAT file that is located in a system folder because one of your apps may be using it as a configuration file. You shouldn’t try to convert a DAT file if you don’t know what it contains.
How to convert a DAT file to Word is the next topic.
Most of the time, you can use one of several simple techniques to convert the file type into a Word document. Word is the best option if the file consists of text and simple graphics that you want in a word processor format. Double-clicking the file should attempt to open it in Word. If the file does not open or does not open in Microsoft Word, you can access a drop-down menu of options by right-clicking the file and navigating to Open With. If it is an option, select Microsoft Word, and Word will open the file. Starting with Microsoft Word open in your browser is an alternative. To find your DAT file on the hard drive or connected storage device, navigate to the File menu in Word and choose Open.