Extract text from Word documents (_DOC)
To convert _DOC documents to another format, you need macOS or other System software.
To convert other file formats to the "macOS Hidden Metadata File" file type, you need software like macOS or a similar tool.
The ._DOC file is typically a hidden AppleDouble system file created by macOS, or occasionally a temporarily renamed DOC file. When Mac users copy a standard Microsoft Word document to a non-Apple file system like a FAT32 USB drive or SMB network share, the operating system splits the file in two. The document remains .DOC, while macOS saves the extended attributes and resource forks in a hidden file prefixed with ._.
These ._DOC files are practically useless on Windows or Linux systems. They appear as tiny, 4KB files that users often mistake for corrupted documents. Trying to open them in Microsoft Word results in error messages or gibberish. If the file is genuinely a renamed Word document, you will want to convert it to standard, modern formats like DOCX, PDF, or ODT to ensure long-term readability and compatibility across all platforms.
Standard online converters usually fail to process ._DOC files because they misidentify the hidden system headers or try to convert empty metadata into text. If our analysis detects a supported underlying Word document, conversion will be possible. If it is merely an AppleDouble metadata file, you will know you can safely delete it.
Convert.Guru analyzes your _DOC file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert _DOC file to TXT, RTF, DOC, DOCX, ODT, PAGES, TEX, LATEX, MD, MARKDOWN, LOG or NFO, you can use macOS or similar software from the "macOS Resource Fork" 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 _DOC, try macOS or another comparable tool in the "macOS Resource Fork" category.
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 _DOC converter.