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Frequently asked questions
The file has no extension. Can you still identify it?
Usually, yes. Most formats carry a signature in their first bytes, and container formats are opened and inspected. Only a few formats (PICT, PageMaker, some Mac files) rely on the extension.
The conversion looks slightly different from the original.
Expected. Fonts are substituted, some effects are approximated and features that have no modern equivalent are dropped. Each format page has a "What survives" section and every result lists notes about what was changed.
Why is my .doc / .xls / .ppt file here? Those are not that old.
Current Office blocks files from Word 2, Word 6/95, Excel 2-4 and PowerPoint 4/95 by default. LibreOffice still opens them, so we can convert them for you.
Can you open password-protected or DRM files?
No. Encrypted documents, DRM-protected WMA/WMV and locked e-books cannot be converted. Remove the protection in the original application first.
Do you keep my files?
No. Everything is deleted automatically 3 hours after upload. See the privacy policy.
What are the size limits?
500 MB per file. Drive Rescue processes up to 300 files per job.
My dBASE table shows blank memo fields.
Memo text lives in a companion .dbt or .fpt file. Upload it in the optional memo field on the databases tool and the text will be included.
Can I use this from a script or in bulk?
The web tools are rate-limited for fair use. Contact us for API access.
A format is missing.
Drop the file into the detector anyway; if it fails we log the signature pattern (never the content) to prioritise new formats.
Still stuck? Try identifying the file – the result explains the next step.