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.dat extention

Discussion in 'Other PC Software' started by Karen928, 2005/04/13.

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  1. 2005/04/13
    Karen928

    Karen928 Inactive Thread Starter

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    Hello,

    When I open an e-mail attachment with a dat extension, the following message comes up: "These files are used by the operating system and various programs. Editing or modifying them could damage your system. "

    If a dat extension is data, why would this message come up? How could it damage the system?

    Any help is appreciaated. Have a good day.

    Karen
     
    Last edited: 2005/04/13
    Karen928,
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  2. 2005/04/14
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    Not likely to damage the system, but not likely you can read the file either.

    TNEF Format, a proprietary format used by the Microsoft Exchange and Outlook e-mail clients when sending messages formatted as Rich Text Format (RTF). When Microsoft Exchange thinks that it is sending a message to another Microsoft e-mail client, it extracts all the formatting information and encodes it in a special TNEF block. It then sends the message in two parts - the text message with the formatting removed and the formatting instructions in the TNEF block. On the receiving side, a Microsoft e-mail client processes the TNEF block and re-formats the message.
    Unfortunately, most non-Microsoft e-mail clients cannot decipher TNEF blocks. Consequently, when you receive a TNEF-encoded message with a non-Microsoft e-mail client, the TNEF part appears as a long sequence of hexadecimal digits, either in the message itself or as an attached file (usually named WINMAIL.DAT).

    more info re .DAT files here:
    http://ask-leo.com/whats_a_dat_file.html
     
    TonyT,
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  4. 2005/04/14
    Karen928

    Karen928 Inactive Thread Starter

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    .dat extension

    Thanks so much for your input. I'll go to the site you recommended and see what else I can learn. I didn't think it should hurt the system.

    Have a good day!

    Karen
     
    Karen928,
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  5. 2005/04/14
    Welshjim

    Welshjim Inactive

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    Karen928--If indeed that .dat file is winmail.dat, here is some more info
    http://www.pchell.com/support/winmaildat.shtml
    Easiest solution is to ask the sender to send as Plain Text, not Rich Text Format. The above does not apply if the .dat file is not winmail.dat. But then you should not be opening most other .dat files, anyway.
     
    Welshjim,
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  6. 2005/04/22
    Grunty

    Grunty Inactive

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    Here is a programme that will decode the Winmail.dat files.

    We get them sometimes and occaisionally they do include attachments
     
    Grunty,
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