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How do I open a dat file?


Cadastrophic

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I've been sent a dat file and don't know how to open it. By the wording of the email, I should be able to open it in Autocad. Is this correct? Are there any tricks to doing it? I don't want to mess with the file incase I damage it.

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A file extension of .dat could be any format. It is a very generic name used by lots and lots of people. Can you view it with a text editor? Is it human readable? -David

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A file extension of .dat could be any format. It is a very generic name used by lots and lots of people. Can you view it with a text editor? Is it human readable? -David

No David, it's complete gobledegook.

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Here's some possibilities, from http://filext.com/

 

BLUEWAVE File

Data

Digital Audio Tape

Exchange Server Error Message (WINMAIL.DAT) (Microsoft)

Commodore 64 Audio

Gunlok Archive

Internet Explorer Cache File (Microsoft)

MapInfo Native Data Format (Mapinfo Corporation)

Mitsubishi DJ-1000 and Photorun Native Format

MS Word for DOS File

Nascar Racing Archive

Nero CD Speed Results File (Nero AG)

Novell Message File

RDXR020305.DAT is Morpheus Adware

SHARP MZ-series Emulator RAM-Disk File

SPOT Graphic

Terrasoft Dataset Definition File

Unfinished FastTrack Download

VCD and/or SVCD File

Video CD MPEG or MPEG1 Movie

VMS Data File

WordPerfect Merge Data (Corel)

Z80 Spectrum Emulator Snap/File Format

Windows Registry Hive (Microsoft Corporation)

PestPatrol Data/Scan Strings (PestPatrol, Inc.)

Oric Atmos Snapshot

Allegro Generic Data

My Personal Programmer Distributed Project (M:Pact Technologies)

LithTech Game Compiled Level File (Touchdown Entertainment, Inc.)

Walkman NW-S23 MP3 File Storage Container (Sony)

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Any possability the file could have been changed to .dat from another type of format, .dxf, .dwg or......Mike

I was told I was being sent a drawing, so yes, I presume it began life as a .dwg file.

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  • 3 months later...

is commonly used by an operating system

 

Eg Mac users often have trouble sending files to people who need to view on a PC

 

Either that or the file got corrupted by the sender

 

Cheers

David

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what are the first few characters of the file if viewed as text? If it is an AutoCAD file it will start with (something like) AC1015

 

If it does then it has probably just been renamed so renaming back to *.dwg should open it. If it doesn't start with ACsomething it's not a .dwg file

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  • 5 years later...

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