Easy way to handle .dat files: Mac User Guide

You may already be familiar with various file formats, such as PDF, XLS, HTML, and MSG, but when you encounter files with the extension .dat, you may encounter challenges in dealing with unfamiliar formats.

A DAT file is one of the extremely complex file formats because this file name extension does not specify whether it contains pictures, video, audio or simple text. Because DAT files have a wide range of features, it is difficult to determine which application to use to open them.

So, what is a DAT file on a Mac and how do you view its contents? Although there is no program specifically for viewing DAT files, here are some of the best ways to open .dat files on your Mac.

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What is the DAT file on your Mac?

DAT is a common data file that contains data that can be almost anything from text and graphics to images and even videos. This makes it a challenge to open it because if macOS cannot determine which data the file contains, it cannot assign the correct application to open it.

DAT files are not generated manually, but are created by different programs, most commonly Microsoft Outlook. Mac users usually receive a DAT file named winmail.dat or ATT0001.dat, and usually, it is not created by the sender intentionally, but by the application itself.

In some cases, a DAT file may actually be a real attachment that is wrongly encoded, such as a Word document or a calendar invitation. In other cases, it is just text encoding for the email body with some special format. Unless you already know what's inside, you must open the winmail DAT file on your Mac to find out.

The easiest way to open a winmail.dat file on your Mac

Apple recommends ignoring DAT files received through the mail app, but if you know the sender and why you receive such files, you need to find a way to view it. The fastest solution to opening a DAT file on your Mac is to use good file compression and compression tools such as BetterZip.

Not only does BetterZip helps you open and extract DAT files, but it also creates and encrypts archives in just a few clicks. BetterZip is integrated into your Finder interface for maximum convenience, allowing you to preview any compressed file before opening it, and also customize its decompression options! This application supports over 30 archive formats, so opening .dat on your Mac will no longer be a problem!

Here is how to open a .dat file on your Mac using BetterZip:

1. Start the application
2. Drag and drop your file into the application
3. Use the space bar to preview to start a quick view (if required)
4. Click "Extract" in the top menu

In addition to this method of opening winmail DAT on Mac, there are some other laborious solutions that may also succeed.

Method 1: Open the winmail.dat file on your Mac in your browser

As a relatively unpopular file format, DAT files are often used by hackers to install viruses or spyware, so be sure to make sure that the files you are about to open are sent to you by a reliable source before downloading them to your Mac.

How to open a winmail DAT file in your browser:

1. Use the save attachment feature of the email client to save files to your desktop
2. Open winmaildat.com in a web browser
3. Click "Select File" and navigate to the attachment you saved
4. Click "Upload" ? "Start"

After the website extracts the file, you will be allowed to download the converted version, which will be kept on the website for 30 minutes. If the DAT file is empty, the site will not extract anything.

If you want to always open selected links in different browsers and applications, try using OpenIn to personalize your interactions with your Mac and benefit from them every day.

OpenIn can cleverly customize selector lists of links, emails, and files to simplify your workflow. Customize how you open files with a specific file extension by dragging and dropping the file into OpenIn, selecting the application you want to open it, and setting OpenIn as the default file opening utility. OpenIn is optimized for Apple's silicon-chip Mac, so it also supports TouchBar and uses a keyboard for quick selection.

Method 2: Save the file as another format

As mentioned above, some DAT files are simply misidentified attachments, and the wrong file extension is enough to prevent the Mac from opening a specific file. So if you know what kind of document or media file you are expecting, you can resave the .dat file in the correct format.

Follow these steps to open the .dat file on your Mac:

1. Go to Finder ? Settings…
2. Click Advanced and select the Show all file name extensions check box
3. Go to your mail app
4. Control-click or right-click the winmail.dat file and select Save attachments
5. Replace the .dat file extension in the dialog text field
6. Select the location to save the file and click "Save"

Note: This method does not apply to all .dat files, only to those files whose device misidentifies file extensions.

Method 3: Use TextEdit to open the DAT file

Text-based DAT files are very common, and in this case a simple text editor such as TextEdit, which comes with Mac, will be able to open the file. If your DAT file contains something other than plain text, it will display many "NUL" references when you open it in TextEdit. This is also a good first step if you are just trying to determine the type of information the file contains.

Here is how to open a DAT file on your Mac using TextEdit:

1. Download the DAT file to your Mac
2. Right-click the file and select Open with
3. Select TextEdit from the drop-down menu

For all writers who often use trivial applications or people who work on text, you have to try Ulysses.

Ulysses is a word processor that rethinks how we write by providing a clean workspace that doesn’t show formatting options until you’re ready to view them. With its simple, web-based formatting system, MarkdownXL, Ulysses allows you to format text without touching your mouse.

Once your text editing is flawless, export it as a beautiful e-book or PDF and publish online with one click using the integrated WordPress and Medium platform!

Method 4: Open the winmail.dat file in Gmail

Another solution to open a .dat file on your Mac involves forwarding emails and their attachments to your Gmail inbox and opening the file through Gmail's web-based website. The Gmail website can interpret the data in these attachments, thereby opening winmail DAT on your Mac.

After clicking the forward button on the original email containing the DAT file, simply log in to your Gmail account and view the content, which will be rendered as formatted emails, or give you the option to use Google Docs to access additional documents or media.

Method 5: How to open winmail.dat file using a third-party application

There is also a free macOS application designed to recognize and open winmail DAT on your Mac. If you are dealing with such files every day, download TNEF's Enough from the app store and follow these steps to open the winmail DAT file:

1. Right-click on the DAT file you want to open
2. Select "Open With" and then select TNEF's Enough

Once the application extracts information and opens the file, you can save or export it anywhere on your device.

Open Winmail DAT on Mac in one click

Now you know how to deal with even the most mysterious and rarest file formats (like DAT). Be ahead of your office tasks by having BetterZip compress and decompress all files in one click, and OpenIn will ensure that each link opens in the browser of your choice. Additionally, for all writers, Ulysses is a complex and practical tool that can help you create and publish written content.

All three applications (BetterZip, OpenIn, and Ulysses) are available for free, as well as over 240 tested utilities on the Setapp platform. Setapp is a top-level macOS and iOS app suite that provides users with a seven-day trial period so they can view all the tools available for a variety of tasks. This is a very cost-effective deal, so why wait? Try Setapp now.

FAQ

How to view a DAT file in text?

Use a simple text editor, such as TextEdit, which comes with Mac. It displays the contents of the DAT file and displays anything other than plain text as "NUL".

How to convert a .dat file to a readable format?

To convert a .dat file, open it in a text editor such as TextEdit. If it contains recognizable text, copy and paste it into the new document. For email attachments, right-click the file in the mail application, select Save attachments, and change the file extension to .txt or .csv to see if it becomes readable. Depending on the contents of the file, changing the extension is not always effective.

How to open a win.dat file on your Mac?

Save the .dat file to your desktop and visit winmaildat.com. Click "Select File" to upload the .dat file, and then click "Upload" to view its contents.

How to play .dat video files on Mac?

To play .dat video files on your Mac, you can use a media player such as VLC Media Player, which supports a variety of file formats, including .dat files. If the .dat file is an email attachment, save it to your Mac first and open it with VLC.

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