Extract text from Packet capture files (CAP)
To convert CAP Capture files to another format, you need Wireshark or other Data software.
To convert other file formats to the "Network Capture File" file type, you need software like Wireshark or a similar tool.
The .cap file extension is primarily associated with two very different formats: a Network Packet Capture file and an ASUS BIOS Update Capsule. In network administration, a .cap file stores raw data packets captured over a network. This older format was heavily used by legacy software like Microsoft Network Monitor and early packet sniffers such as tcpdump and Wireshark. Alternatively, PC builders encounter .cap files as UEFI BIOS firmware updates for ASUS motherboards via the ASUS EZ Flash Utility. Less commonly, the extension is used for PASCO Capstone science experiment data (which are actually internal ZIP archives) or Capella Software music notation scores.
Working with .cap files presents several frustrating real-world challenges. For network administrators, the legacy .cap packet format is outdated. It lacks the advanced metadata support - such as interface information, name resolution blocks, and dropped packet counts - found in modern packet capture standards. Furthermore, these are raw binary files; trying to open them in a standard text editor yields unreadable gibberish. You normally need to install heavy protocol analyzer software just to read the data. For BIOS files, the limitation is extreme: the file is locked compiled firmware, and any attempt to modify or convert it will brick your motherboard.
To overcome compatibility and analysis limits, conversion is often necessary. For network analysis, convert your legacy .cap files to the modern pcapng standard to work cleanly with current security tools. If you need to share network traffic logs with non-technical stakeholders, convert the packet list to csv or txt for easy viewing in Microsoft Excel. For Capella music scores, convert to musicxml or pdf to ensure universal readability. Drop your file here to view and convert it securely right in your browser. Our tool instantly analyzes the file header to determine exactly which type of .cap you uploaded, offering the exact extraction or conversion options you need without installing extra software.
Convert.Guru analyzes your CAP file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted PCAP, NETXML, HCCAP, ZIP, PCAPNG, OIF, ADV, CAB, HC22000, PDF, BIN, CRDOWNLOAD and DMP files.
If you want to convert CAP file to SMALL, PCAP, BIN, PCAPNG, CSV, JSON, XML, YAML, YML, TOML, INI or CFG, you can use Wireshark or similar software from the "Network Packet Storage & Firmware" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DBF, XML, SQLITE, XLSX, SQL, TSV, ACCDB, YAML, MDB, CSV, ODS or JSON files to CAP, try Wireshark or another comparable tool in the "Network Packet Storage & Firmware" 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 CAP converter.