Opening DAT Files

There are many extensions that files have. Of them is .dat and you might have encountered it before. The reason why this particular file type is worth mentioning, is that unlike other file types, it does not belong to a specific program. For example .doc belongs to Microsoft Word, .xls to Microsoft Excel and so on. On the other hand, .dat files are data files that are not attributed to a specific program. In order to open it properly you should know which program was it meant to be opened with. One way to check with which program to open this file, is to ask the person who sent you an attachment with this file what program does it belong to. Of course, you can also try to deduct yourself how to open it. You might get a clue how to do it by opening it first with notepad. Do it by right clicking on a file -> Open With -> Choose Program -> select “Notepad”. Of course, this method is not that easy, especially for those who are relatively new to computers. You should also know that in most cases there is no need to open .dat files. If you simply want to launch a particular program, then you should find a file with the .exe extension.