Extract text from Game data files (DAN)
To convert DAN Data files to another format, you need The Settlers II or other Data software.
To convert other file formats to the "Proprietary Data File" file type, you need software like The Settlers II or a similar tool.
The .dan file extension is a highly fragmented format used by over a dozen completely unrelated software programs, primarily acting as a proprietary data container. Historically, it is most recognized as a game resource archive or data file for classic video games such as The Settlers II and titles developed by Psygnosis. It is also utilized as a game asset picture collection in the DelphiX library for Borland Delphi. Beyond the gaming sector, .dan files store closed-ecosystem data for modern enterprise software like the AFAS Profit data analysis suite, geodetic raster calibration points for Polish C-GEO software, German social security transmissions (ITSG sv.net), and environmental scientific datasets like annual snowpack data.
Because the .dan extension simply stands for "data" or represents an arbitrary developer string, it lacks a standardized internal structure. Each application writes the file using a completely different proprietary encoding. For example, a .dan file from The Settlers II contains heavily compressed binary game assets, while a .dan file from C-GEO contains precise geospatial coordinates. Users typically want to convert these files to extract 2D graphics into standard PNG or JPG formats, or to parse data analysis logs into accessible CSV or JSON files. However, proprietary enterprise systems like AFAS Profit intentionally lock their data behind closed formats, making external extraction practically impossible without the original software.
Since almost all .dan files rely on undocumented, closed formats, standard online converters will fail to process them. Even if direct conversion is blocked by proprietary encryption, our analyzer will help you pinpoint exactly which software created your specific .dan file.
Convert.Guru analyzes your DAN file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted ATD, CBD and GR files.
If you want to convert DAN file to , you can use The Settlers II or similar software from the "Proprietary Game & Application Data" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to DAN, try The Settlers II or another comparable tool in the "Proprietary Game & Application Data" 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 DAN converter.