doc 

DOC File Extension

Have a problem opening a .DOC file? We collect information about file formats and can explain what DOC files are. Additionally we recommend software suitable for opening or converting such files.

What is the .DOC file type?

The .doc filename extension is used for Microsoft Word documents. It's a binary format that contains not just text but also formatting information, scripts, etc. There were several modifications of this format, DOC files created by Word 97 and later are not compatible with earlier versions of Word. DOC was the default format for saving Microsoft Word files until Word 2007, where it was replaced with the XML-based DOCX format. However, Word 2007 and later versions are capable of saving documents in DOC.

DOC is a proprietary format with its specification available under the Microsoft Open Specification Promise. The format was also reverse engineered by some software developers with the purpose of adding support for DOC files. Currently there are several programs from independent developers that can open, save and convert DOC files.



Before the Microsoft Word era, the .doc extension was used mainly for plain text files containing documentation.



Software to open or convert DOC files

You can open DOC files with the following programs:
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office by Microsoft Corporation
 
swriter
 
LibreOffice
LibreOffice by The Document Foundation
 


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