A file with the .dat file extension is a generic information file that stores specific information relating to the plan that created the file. Some apps that use them are CCleaner, Porteus, and Minecraft. They might even show up in your email as an attachment from a Microsoft Exchange Server.

What Is a DAT File?

In short, a DAT file contains important information for software to handle. The information contained inside a DAT file is usually either plain text or binary, although in rare cases you might run into them as the actual data of a video file for programs like VCDGear or CyberLink PowerDirector.

Many programs create, open up, and reference DAT files. They designed only for employ past the application and non to be opened manually by the user. Many games, like Minecraft, use DAT files to store chunks of levels, which are loaded on the fly as a player navigates throughout the level.

How Do I Open a DAT File?

Considering it's difficult to tell whether the DAT file y'all're dealing with contains text, pictures, videos, or config files for software on your calculator, how you open a file will vary depending on what information it contains. Virtually of the time, though, DAT files are in plain text format, and you can open up those with any standard text editor.

Using a Text Editor

We're using Notepad++ for Windows every bit an example here, but you can open a DAT that contains text with any text editor, no affair what operating organization you're using. The process might be a fleck unlike for opening the file, but information technology's not complicated.

In Windows, right-click DAT file you want to open and then click the "Open With" control.

In the "Open With" window, choose the text editor you want to use then click the "OK" button.

Provided the file you lot opened is text-based, you should be able to read the contents.

If you tried to open a file that doesn't comprise patently text, y'all might come across a lot of "NUL" references and some obscure characters.

How-to Open Winmail.dat Files

Sometimes email servers—Microsoft Outlook in detail—can sometimes automatically convert an email into the DAT format. Sometimes if the recipient of a message created in Outlook isn't using Outlook themselves, they'll just get a winmail.dat file every bit an attachment instead of being able to view the total bulletin. A straightforward way to open up the file, without getting your contact to resend the email in HTML format, is to use Winmaildat.com.

After downloading the DAT file from your electronic mail, head over to Winmaildat.com and click the "Choose File" button. Locate the DAT file and then click "Open."

After the file gets uploaded, click "Start" and the website will analyze the file.

The Outcome folio shows everything the DAT file contains. Clicking an item downloads information technology to your estimator, where you tin open up it to view its contents.

Continue in mind that because most DAT files are used within specific programs to store program settings, they probably aren't meant to exist opened manually. This means you won't exist able to read any of the information that'southward contained inside the file using a normal text editor. And even if you tin can read the data, there'south ordinarily non much you lot can exercise with it anyhow.