Open a .dat file

[Chip]

I am not sure this is the correct discussion group to ask, but does anyone
know what program opens a .dat file ???

 

[HeyBub]

I am not sure this is the correct discussion group to ask, but does
anyone know what program opens a .dat file ???

A program belonging to the same suite of programs that created the file.

"DAT" usually means "data" and the format of data can be anything. The
layout of a payroll file will differ significantly from a list of golfer
handicaps.

 

[Chip]

This is a photo. I tried the program recommended on the website by Kenneth
and it didn't work.

 

[John Barnett MVP]

What is a Photo, the .dat file? If so why does it have a .dat extension?

--

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

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mail/post..

 

[Chip]

I don't know. We created a customized room in the Internet, saved it to a
file (no choice of extensions), found where it was stored, and it was a .dat
file. Now I can't open it. Thanks.

 

[Lem]

Where "in the Internet" did you go to create this file?

I don't know. We created a customized room in the Internet, saved it to a
file (no choice of extensions), found where it was stored, and it was a .dat
file. Now I can't open it. Thanks.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I am not sure this is the correct discussion group to ask, but does anyone
know what program opens a .dat file ???

There's no answer to that question. Unlike a file type such as .doc or
..xls, .dat files can be created by several different applications and
it is not a standard format. Where did you find this file, and what
else do you know about it? Do you know what program created it?

 

[Chip]

I went to the website http://filext.com/file-extension/DAT and most of
the info was from a company called FILExt. I downloaded a free trial of
their software and it open it in 'gobbly-gook' fashion.

This file was created on the Internet which showed a room and you could
change color of paint, and other stuff. We printed it. It worked. It also
asked if we wanted to print it to a file. We did, and it created a .dat
file.

Thanks for your help and staying with me.

 

[Twayne]

Chip,
Most likely, that dat file is simply a collection of information
that's used and read when you're on the site/forum/whatever where you
got the photo. Probably contains the "room" and so on configurations.
It's NOT going to be a picture, but when at the place you got the
picture for viewing, it's probably instructions to the server about
how/where to get the picture from.
It *might* be a simple text file. You can always try opening it with
NotePad to look at it if you're curious, but DO NOT make any changes to
it, in ANY WAY. By itself, it is useless to you 99% of the time.
When you close Notepad, if it asks you to save, say NO, and just
exit. Otherwise it could destroy the integrity of the file.

dat = data, so in one way or another, it holds data for something. But
it's a commong thing, so may or may not be a text file or any
language/program you have on your computer. The users are never
expected to directly use a dat file.

HTH

Twayne

 

[Twayne]

I went to the website http://filext.com/file-extension/DAT and

most of the info was from a company called FILExt. I downloaded a
free trial of their software and it open it in 'gobbly-gook' fashion.

This file was created on the Internet which showed a room and you
could change color of paint, and other stuff. We printed it. It
worked. It also asked if we wanted to print it to a file. We did,
and it created a .dat file.

There is your answer: It holds the information needed to recreate that
room, etc., next time you go back to the site.

HTH

 

[John]

This file was created on the Internet which showed a room and you could

"The Internet" is BIG. Which website is it?

change color of paint, and other stuff. We printed it. It worked. It
also
asked if we wanted to print it to a file. We did, and it created a .dat
file.

So the dat file has print job in it (perhaps in binary format). The closest
thing you can do is to send .dat file content to the printer. If you expect
to open it and 'see' something on your monitor, I highly doubt that's
possible. You may be able to see garbage characters on your monitor though.

 

[John]

There is your answer: It holds the information needed to recreate that
room, etc., next time you go back to the site.

HTH

Wouldn't that be the result of "saving" your preferences instead of
"printing" to a file? Sounds like you've been to this mysterious "internet
room". What is it?

 

[Jeannine]

WordPerfect creates .dat files. A .dat file holds the records ("data
source") that will be merged into a "form" file.

If it's truly a WordPerfect .dat file, then Excel should be able to open it
as well.

Jeannine

 

[Richard]

I have a movie that is a dat file. Windows media player plays it.

 

[HeyBub]

I have a movie that is a dat file. Windows media player plays it.

That's different. You have a program to which you feed a file. If the
program can understand the contents of the file it matters not what the name
might be.

Here, the OP has a file and wonders what program can read it.