If you find a .dat file on your hard disk and try to open it, you may have problems. Most of the time Windows 10 users do not have a suitable program installed.
As a rule, the first question the user asks is
What are .dat files?
A .dat file consists of data required for the proper execution of the installed programs. This can be a game or application software that stores data such as graphics resolution or keyboard shortcuts in it.
In this case the file is used by the program that created the file.
How can I open .dat files under Windows 10?
There are various programs that can be used to view and edit .dat files.
Note: Many .DAT files are created encrypted, so you will see little content when you open such a file.
To open the file simply use a text editor. Such a text editor is integrated in Windows ex works.
- Open the folder where the file is stored.
- Right-click on it and select "Open with".
- Select "More Programs" and choose "Wordpad" or "Editor".
If the programs do not suit you, there is still the possibility to install "Notepad". This is one of the most common editors among programmers.
This opens the file in the program Notepad++.
Can .dat files be edited?
Thanks to the editors you can view and edit .dat files. However, you should be careful when editing .dat files. If you change anything, it could cause programs to stop running properly. A previous backup can help here.
