What is File Extension DOC – Description and Related Errors

Microsoft has sole proprietorship over MS Word, a program that has been using the .doc extension for many years now. They have the authority to develop this type of file as they see fit. In their latest Word versions for 2007 and 2008, they changed the default output file of MS Word from DOC to DOCX. This new format can be accessed by older versions if a compatibility pack is downloaded and installed.

The .doc format for word processing is among the many similar types of files with different extensions but with the same functions for manipulating word processing features. These other extensions include:

• .txt;
• .rtf;
• .html;
• .odt;
• .wpd; and
• .pdf

Programs such as Open Office, WordPerfect, and Adobe are needed to open, create, and edit these file types.

Document files allow the user to input data, images, tables and other elements to enhance the presentation. The only problem with this format compared to other file types such as .pdf for example is its ability to be readily editable. This means that anyone viewing the file can change it by accident. Also, this file format can be opened by other programs yet it does not guarantee that what you see in the Microsoft Word application will still be the same when you view it using another program. However, it is still preferred by most computer users for its ease of use and features.

Files with the DOC extension are also susceptible to viruses, but this can be solved by good antivirus programs. Another problem is that .doc files may be corrupted, unreadable or damaged due to spyware, adware, and malware. These cases will prevent users from properly opening DOC files. This is when effective registry cleaners become useful.

A registry cleaner is a program that cleans the registry. The Windows registry always gets flooded with junk data, information that has not been removed from uninstalled programs, erroneous file association and other computer-misplaced entries. These neat little system software tools are quite common nowadays and you can find quite a few good ones on the Internet. The good ones give you option to maintain, clean, update, backup, and scan the System Registry. When it finds supposedly unwanted elements in it, the registry cleaner lists them and recommends the user to delete or repair these orphaned entries and corrupt keys.