.DAT file

virgin_moneysaver

a friend has sent me a letter via email that has been sent in .dat format, my laptop can't open it, I've searched & downloaded to programmes that are supposed to open these type of files but its still not recognised - any ideas??

OneADay

virgin_moneysaver wrote: »

a friend has sent me a letter via email that has been sent in .dat format, my laptop can't open it, I've searched & downloaded to programmes that are supposed to open these type of files but its still not recognised - any ideas??

Is it really a friend or your resident world spammer sending you a virus. Delete and get rid - then ask your "friend" to send you things in the format you can recognize.

-TangleFoot-

Possibilities:

• Outlook
• Something Else

tom15387202

Don't try to open it. If the sender has been compromised by hackers/virus then you'll be in trouble and so will the friends in your contact list.

Either the file he sent your was relevant to a specific app or he knobbed the save or exported it as a corrupt file.

As above, delete it and ask your friend to send you a common file format.

letters sent as .dat file, n00bs.

DevCoder

Its probably a RTF format document (very common, even wordpad MS Word saves as this format) sent via outlook.

This will create a file called winmail.dat.

I doubt its a virus/malware.

DevCoder

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/278061 for reference

virgin_moneysaver

its from my penfriend in NZ, they sent the photos separately that opened OK but the letter won't open, I knew I would be receiving the letter so i know its genuine