Extract text from WinCatalog databases (W3CAT)
To convert W3CAT databases to another format, you need WinCatalog or other Database software.
To convert other file formats to the "Disk Catalog Database" file type, you need software like WinCatalog or a similar tool.
The .W3CAT file is a disk catalog database created by WinCatalog. It stores indexed metadata from hard drives, optical media, network volumes, and external disks. This allows users to search for offline files without connecting the physical drives.
The main disadvantage of the .W3CAT format is its proprietary nature. It requires an active Windows environment and a WinCatalog license to access the data. You cannot open these files on macOS, Linux, or mobile devices. Additionally, because the database stores thumbnail images and archive contents, .W3CAT files easily grow to gigabytes in size, making them cumbersome to share or back up.
Users frequently need to convert the .W3CAT data into universal, plain-text formats like CSV, TXT, or SQL. Converting to CSV lets you view your disk inventory in spreadsheet tools like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. However, standard online converters fail to process this file because it is a closed database schema.
This file format is difficult to open or convert outside its native ecosystem. Often only the original WinCatalog software can properly read or export the structured data. However, convert.guru offers a practical workaround. Drag and drop your .W3CAT file to see what it is and convert it if supported. Since the file relies on an internal SQL architecture, our tool can analyze the binary, extract embedded text, and inspect the underlying table structure to recover your data.
Convert.Guru analyzes your W3CAT file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted WCA, WCAT and W3CA files.
If you want to convert W3CAT file to OBJ, FBX, DAE, 3DS, MAX, BLEND, MA, MB, C4D, STL, PLY or WRL, you can use WinCatalog or similar software from the "Disk Catalog Indexing" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DWG, DAE, X3D, IGES, WRL, JT, SKP, 3DS, 3DM, OBJ, STEP or FBX files to W3CAT, try WinCatalog or another comparable tool in the "Disk Catalog Indexing" 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 W3CAT converter.