A .DAT file stands for DATa file. It represents a file containing DATa generated and used by a program. VCD video files also are encoded and saved in a DAT file. Some email programs store attachments as DAT files.
DAT files usually contain DATa in a binary format and are not meant to be opened manually. Sometimes they may contain plain text DATa and can be viewed in a text editor.The best way to know what kind is a DAT file, is to try opening it and let the operating system decide which program to use for opening it.
| File type | Program Data Format |
| Developer | Lack of information |
| Popularity | |
| Share |
While searching for an answer to the question - How to open the DAT file? - you probably found websites, which offer software that was able to open any file extension. Do not be fooled, there is no one program that will allow you to work with any file extension, including the DAT file. Each program contains a different type of data and you need specialized software to properly work with the DAT file. Here is a list of programs that are designed to work with the DAT file - remember, these applications are able to open at most a few file extensions, they are designed to work with a specific data type.
If after installing the program from a list, you still cannot open a file with the DAT extension, the reason may be that the file is damaged. The solution may be to find a new copy of the DAT file you want to open
In this case, the easiest way is to use the tool built into the operating system for association of the DAT file with applications to support it. Double click on the file you cannot open - the operating system will display a list of programs that are likely to work with your DAT file. Choose one of them, or select the location on a disk where you installed one of the applications from our list. Windows should then open the DAT file using the program installed earlier.
Entries containing links of the DAT file extensions with applications is located in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT. If you do not know how to get to the Windows Registry, or how to make changes in it, ask a specialist for help. Lack of knowledge on the subject may cause irreversible changes on your computer.
There may be a situation when a computer virus passes itself off as the DAT file. In this case, such a file will definitely not be opened. Download a good antivirus program and scan the DAT file mentioned. If the antivirus application detects malicious data, it may signify that the DAT file is infected.
| DAT_TUREG_OLD | Windows Registry |
| DA$ | Microsoft Compressed DAT |
| DAQ | Data Acquisition Toolbox |
| DAX | Compressed CD Image Format |
| DAR | DAR Disk Archive |
| DAT2 | XYplorer Thumbnail Cache |
| DADX | Eclipse Document Access Definition Extension |
| DA7 | Star Trek Generations Saved Game |
| DA5 | Star Trek Generations Saved Game |
| DA8 | Star Trek: Generations Saved Game |
