File Extension DOC

File Extension DOC

Get more information about how to open DOC file.

DOC is mostly associated to documents created from authoring applications including Microsoft Word and WordPerfect. These files can be opened in cross-platform including formats for Mac, PC, and Linux. Converters are also developed to convert documents with doc extension to respective extensions.

Doc extensions first appeared on documents created by WordPerfect back in the early 1980's and was adapted by Microsoft in the early 1990's on their earlier versions of Microsoft Word. The file extension was discontinued by Microsoft on their release of Microsoft Word 2007 replacing it with .docx adapting the XML standard common to other word processors.

Backwards compatibility was always an issue to files with doc extensions. Early Microsoft Word products are unable to execute or open documents saved with the .doc extension. On the other hand, some third party applications are unable to fully support .doc extension unless additional linker is installed.

The ability to attach macros to Microsoft Word documents made it one of the carriers of worms and viruses over the Internet. These maliciously coded files are attached through emails and sent to unknown recipients.

Aside for Microsoft's document processing applications, files with this extension can also be opened and edited on third party applications such as the OpenOffice.org's Writer and AbiWord created by SourceGear Corporation.

Similar file extensions

• File Extension ODT - Open Office document format
• File Extension DOCX - Microsoft Word 2007 document format
• File Extension PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

If you are not able to open file with certain file extension make sure to check if extension for the file is correct. It is possible that information in the file doesn't match file extension.