1ST Converter

Extract text from legacy readme files (1ST)


Drop or upload your .1ST file
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How to extract text from your 1ST file

  1. Click the "Select File" button above, and choose your 1ST file.
  2. You’ll see a preview, if available.
  3. Click the "Convert file to..." button to extract text information.

Convert 1ST to another file type

To convert 1ST readme files to another format, you need Notepad++ or other Text software.

Convert a file to 1ST

To convert other file formats to the "Readme File" file type, you need software like Notepad++ or a similar tool.


About 1ST files

The .1st file is a plain text document traditionally named README.1ST. Software developers used this format extensively during the MS-DOS and early Windows eras to provide urgent release notes or setup instructions before a user installed a program. You can read these files using basic text editors like Windows Notepad or Notepad++. The primary disadvantage of the .1st format is that modern operating systems no longer recognize the extension. When you double-click the file, the system triggers an 'Open With' prompt, which creates unnecessary friction for users. Furthermore, because it is strictly plain ASCII text, it completely lacks support for modern formatting like hyperlinks, bold fonts, or embedded images. Converting your .1st file to TXT, PDF, or DOCX is the most practical solution. A TXT file restores native double-click support across all devices, while a PDF guarantees the text displays identically on mobile and desktop platforms. Basic online converters frequently reject .1st files because the obsolete extension confuses strict MIME-type validation scripts. Our system bypasses the extension barrier, detects the underlying plain text, and allows you to instantly extract the contents.

Convert.Guru analyzes your 1ST file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.

Users also converted PFILE, FRK and IN_ files.


FAQ

If you want to convert 1ST file to TXT, RTF, DOC, DOCX, ODT, PAGES, TEX, LATEX, MD, MARKDOWN, LOG or NFO, you can use Notepad++ or similar software from the "Text Documentation Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….

To convert PDF, DOC, ASC, TODO, NFO, MEMO, README, DOCX, JPG, TXT, NOTE or RTF files to 1ST, try Notepad++ or another comparable tool in the "Text Documentation Storage" category.



The 1ST Converter Story

The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our 1ST converter.