Dat files

What Is a DAT File?

No specific program is responsible for creating or using every type of DAT file. A wide variety of applications use them as references to certain operations in their respective program.

The content and format of a dat file is specific to the application that created it.

Unlike, say, a txt file or a .docx file you cannot expect to be able to usefully associate .dat files with a specific program.

The .dat file association, by default, is that it opens with no application:



You can do that by:
1) Search for, and open: Registry Editor
2) Go to this location:
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.dat
3) Select the ".dat" folder, right click on that folder, (make sure you select that ".dat" folder only), Delete.
Don't accidentally delete any other folder.




So now, after doing that, whenever you try to open a ".dat" file, the computer will say:

(with a different file location at the top).

Technically, this that is shown is correct, where you cannot accidentally associate opening dat files with anything else.
There are no apps out there that associate opening a dat file with anything. Yet on the possible rarest of instances that an app may want to associate opening this file with anything, then it would do so.

Or you can use this Free Online .DAT file converter.
Convert files from and to DAT format online - AnyConv