Click the "Select File" button above, and choose your HIST file.
You’ll see a preview, if available.
Click the "Convert file to..." button to extract text information.
Convert HIST to another file type
To convert HIST History files to another format, you need Microsoft Lync or other Data software.
Convert a file to HIST
To convert other file formats to the "History or Histogram File" file type, you need software like Microsoft Lync or a similar tool.
About HIST files
The .hist file extension represents either a history log or a numerical histogram data file. The most prominent use case is archiving conversation history in Microsoft Lync or Skype. Secondary applications include storing scientific histogram datasets for Atomic Force Microscopy via JPK Instruments Data Processing, electronic simulation mapping in Keysight Advanced Design System, or population genetics analysis in Arlequin. To open a .hist file, you typically need the exact host application that generated it. The primary disadvantage of the .hist format is extreme fragmentation. Because it is utilized by completely unrelated software programs, a .hist file from a chat client shares zero structural similarity with a .hist file from a genetics simulator. Corporate chat history files are often proprietary, locked, or stored in obscure binary schemas that standard text editors scramble. They cannot be natively opened in web browsers and frequently require legacy, discontinued software to read properly. If the file contains chat logs, converting it to .TXT or .PDF is ideal for long-term archiving. If it contains numeric histogram data, converting to .CSV is recommended so the data can be plotted in modern spreadsheet tools. However, converting proprietary scientific formats often strips vital metadata or axis calibration. Because of this closed, proprietary nature across multiple niche applications, standard online converters routinely fail to process .hist files. Often, only the original software can properly read or export the data. If our analysis detects a supported underlying text base or embedded format, viewing or conversion may still be possible without the original software.
Convert.Guru analyzes your HIST file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert HIST file to , you can use Microsoft Lync or similar software from the "Chat History or Histogram Data" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to HIST, try Microsoft Lync or another comparable tool in the "Chat History or Histogram Data" category.
The HIST 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 HIST converter.