.bak files

Common questions

How do I open a .bak file?

On Windows use Rename to the original extension, then use that program; on macOS use Rename to the original extension, then use that program; on Linux use Rename to the original extension, then use that program. A copy of another file, saved before it changed — the extension says nothing about the contents.

What is a .bak file?

Backup File. Programs create .bak files automatically before overwriting something, so a .bak is whatever the original was: a document, a database, a config file. To use one, remove the .bak from the name and open it with the program that made it.

Related pages

• .csv — Comma-Separated Values A spreadsheet as plain text, one row per line — the universal data exchange form
• .json — JavaScript Object Notation The standard text format for structured data on the web and in config files.
• .xml — Extensible Markup Language A tag-based text format for structured data, still everywhere in enterprise syst
• .yaml — YAML Data File An indentation-based configuration format, readable but unforgiving about whites
• .log — Log File A plain-text record of what a program did, newest events usually at the bottom.
• .torrent — BitTorrent Metainfo File A few kilobytes of metadata describing what to download and from whom — not the
• .dat — Generic Data File A meaningless extension — .dat says only that some program stored data here.
• .vcf — vCard Contact File One or more contacts as plain text — the standard way to move an address book.
• .sql — SQL Script A text file of database commands — often a full database dump.
• .ics — iCalendar Event A calendar invitation or event feed in a plain-text standard format.
• .sqlite — SQLite Database A complete relational database in a single file — the most deployed database in
• .db — Generic Database File An extension many programs use for their data — it does not identify one format.