.dat files

Okay, here's a real dumb one. I am a blonde though, so I'm entitled.

How the devil do you open ".dat" files? I've tried every program on here and I can't seem to do it.

I know, easy one, huh?
Hope so.

Thanks a bunch!!

 

I have opened them with notepad,(right click / open with) but they just show up as a load of code and I think unless you really know what you are doing they are best left alone.

 

If memory serves, you can open the MS-DOS shell and enter the 'type' command along with the file name and that will display the contents of the file. At the command prompt enter 'type filename.dat' and that should do it....I think.

 

The question I have to ask is WHY do you want to open a DAT file?

While you could certainly open it using Windows Notepad, more than likely there won't be any info in there you can read and you certainly don't want to modify it.

DAT files are generally used by programs to store data of some kind, it usually is not in readable text unless of the data happens to be in text.

 

The reason is, all of my yahoo conversations are on there. These conversations are needed for a court case that I'm involved in. While I do have them archived, the only way I can access them is to be on line. Where I am, I used dial up, so while I'm on the internet, my phone line is tied up. Good ol' country living.

I have tried to open them with notepad, but it all comes out as gobbly gook. Have tried notepad, wordpad, paint, many, many others too.

 

As I said, it'll look like gibberish because it's probably compressed or using a unique format. It's not in regular ASCII text.

Unless someone has written a specific application to read them, I'm afraid you're stuck using the original application.

You might try doing a search on Google and seeing if someone's written an app that will do what you want.

 

from Yahoo Messenger chat yes?
If i were you id contact Yahoo and ask them about it, perhaps they can decode it for you, if you need it that bad

 

I have contacted Yahoo and MSN and they both say that they won't do anything without a search warrant. Confidentiality, you know.
They just told me to keep changing my passwords, which I have done, and keep referring me to their useless pages!!!!

 

Reading .DAT files

I have to concur with Taz, I too, had a need to read/view files that often come across my desk in .DAT format.

I work in the sign industry and for whatever reason, we sometimes get customers sending us things with a .DAT extension. I, too, have tried numerous programs in order to view the file content but no luck.

Of course, I thought that is was some new form (or a MAC form) of file compression but I have since been shown the light and see that it is only a MSDOS/ASCII file format.

But still, it would be nice to have some sort of viewer on hand to see just what the file contains.

Just adding my two cents worth and looking for change back.

bgunn

 

Most of the time .DAT files are not text at all... so there really is no such thing as a viewer..

many times they will be in some sort of binary code..

You would need a program to de-engineer them and then know exactly what language they are in.

If it is for a court case, just get the warrant and have Yahoo do the work..
Since they are your files, a warrant would be a piece of cake

Curtis

P.s. Good Luck in your case

 

There is a free program called, Index.dat Viewer V2.1

You can check it out at the following url address:

http://www.exits.ro/

 

I have also been sent a .Dat file and told to open it with Windows Media Player. As I get the following 0xC00D1199 error message, does that mean either WMP does not support this file type or the file itself is corrupt?
How do I know?

Gripper

 

I think a Mod may want to review that link above.

It wants to change you home page and may contain cool web search!!

Watch your downloads, read your agreements before installing.