Converting .dat files

I am running XP and being emailed files from a MAC with .dat extensions. How can I open them?

 

What are they?
Movies? Data? Apps?

 

documents

 

Try renaming the file to a .doc and see if Word will open it.

 

Fauxqui--Did you try to open the original .dat file in NotePad (or perhaps even WordPad)?

 

I did but I got gibberish. Also I couldn't chhange it to a .doc file.

 

Hi Fauxqui

Contact the sender and ask what program generates the file. Hopefully you have or can get a program that can open/read the file.... Or they can provide you the same information in a file type you can open.