Forums | MacLife
You are not logged in.
#1 2008-11-11 10:25 am
- maxted0223
- Member
- Registered: 2008-11-11
- Posts: 1
winmail.dat files
Can I open and play winmail.dat files on either my i-phone or the macbook?
Offline
#2 2008-11-11 11:43 am
- TheUltimateMacUser
- Flash Drive RAID Array Dude

- From: NNS Offices, near the copier
- Registered: 2001-04-22
- Posts: 884
- Website
Re: winmail.dat files
When an Outlook user composes and sends a message using either Rich Text Format or HTML Format, Outlook automagically generates a file, winmail.dat, and attaches it to the end of the message. winmail.dat contains formatting information, in a human-unreadable form, that Outlook will use on the receiving end to display this email message correctly. Unfortunately, Outlook is the ONLY email client program that can use this information! Netscape Messenger, Eudora*, and other email client programs don't understand this information.
winmail.dat files just contain formatting information, as generated by Outlook. So, im not entirely sure what you mean when you ask if you can 'play' them on your mac. I did a quick google search, tho, and didn't find any winmail.dat decoders for OS X, so...
Offline
#3 2008-11-11 12:19 pm
Re: winmail.dat files
U must not have looked to hard then 'cause I found this
http://www.macuser.com/tips/winmaildat_ … g_your.php
Make it idiot-proof, and someone will make a better idiot.
Offline
#4 2008-11-11 12:23 pm
- Cobalt60
- Member
- Registered: 2002-04-17
- Posts: 1388
Re: winmail.dat files
I use this out of Mail
http://www.restoroot.org/OMiC/en/index.php
I'm not a doctor but I'll take a look!
Offline
#5 2008-11-11 7:47 pm
- Pariah
- James Carville Fan..

- From: Belly Of The Beast, Oklahoma!
- Registered: 2001-05-24
- Posts: 18421
Re: winmail.dat files
.Dat files can be just about anything. I have seen both MP3s and Jpegs that had the .dat suffix. .dat simply indicates data.
Ya, stupid.
"and it's not surprising that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."
Barack Obama
Offline
#7 2008-11-12 12:26 pm
- avkills
- demyelinated brain matter

- Registered: 2001-05-09
- Posts: 7103
Re: winmail.dat files
Outlook usually sends attachments in a .dat file when the user has their text preference set to rich text format in Outlook. I deal with it all the time from co-workers who refuse to just use plain text for email. It's smurfing email; nobody gives a rats ass what fancy ass font you use.
-mark
Offline
#8 2008-11-12 5:52 pm
- Pariah
- James Carville Fan..

- From: Belly Of The Beast, Oklahoma!
- Registered: 2001-05-24
- Posts: 18421
Re: winmail.dat files
In the late 90's and early 00's binaries posted to usenet with Outlook would appear in groups with a .dat suffix no matter what the file was.
I don't know whether Outlook changed or everyone finally stopped using it to post from, but I haven't seen that in a few years.
Last edited by Pariah (2008-11-12 5:53 pm)
"and it's not surprising that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."
Barack Obama
Offline


