Extract text from GAU files
To convert your GAU file to another format, you need Microsoft Flight Simulator or other Game software.
To convert other file formats to the "Simulation Instrument File" file type, you need software like Microsoft Flight Simulator or a similar tool.
The .GAU extension primarily identifies a Flight Simulator Gauge file, a critical system component used by Microsoft Flight Simulator and compatible sims like Lockheed Martin Prepar3D. These files function as the visual logic for cockpit instruments (altimeters, speedometers) and are technically compiled Dynamic Link Libraries (.DLL) or executable binaries renamed with the .gau extension.
Because they are compiled program code rather than simple images, users face significant friction when trying to 'open' them; they cannot be viewed in standard image editors like Adobe Photoshop. Trying to force-open them usually results in gibberish. For developers or enthusiasts modifying cockpit panels, the 'conversion' process typically involves renaming the file to DLL to inspect dependencies or using resource extraction tools to rip internal BMP assets.
A secondary, distinct use of the format is for GAUSS program source code files. These are plain text scripts used by the GAUSS Platform for statistical analysis. Unlike the flight sim binaries, these can be easily converted to TXT for editing in Notepad++ or PDF for archival documentation.
Convert.Guru analyzes your GAU file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted FRC, MTA and CGL files.
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 GAU converter.