Extract text from WinCatalog collections (WCAT)
To convert WCAT collections to another format, you need WinCatalog or other Database software.
To convert other file formats to the "Offline File Index" file type, you need software like WinCatalog or a similar tool.
A .WCAT file is a specialized database created by WinCatalog, a popular disk management and cataloging software for Windows. It acts as an offline index of files, folders, CDs, DVDs, and network drives. This allows users to search through terabytes of archived media without needing to physically connect the original hard drives or insert the discs.
Under the hood, modern versions of these files utilize a standard SQLite database engine. They store vast amounts of file metadata, including EXIF data from photos, ID3 tags from audio files, and even compressed picture thumbnails, making the collections easily searchable offline.
However, the .WCAT format is highly restrictive. Because the internal database schema is proprietary, it is heavily locked into the WinCatalog ecosystem. If you do not have an active software license or the application installed, accessing your own file lists becomes a frustrating roadblock. The file cannot be opened natively by web browsers, standard text editors, or basic database tools without technical workarounds.
To make the indexed data universally accessible, users often need to convert .WCAT to standard formats like CSV, HTML, or XML. Converting to CSV allows the catalog data to be viewed and manipulated easily in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
Because of its proprietary structure, standard online file converters almost always fail to process .WCAT files. Our advanced analyzer can inspect the internal SQLite content, helping you view embedded text or extract tables even if you no longer have access to the original software.
Convert.Guru analyzes your WCAT file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted WCA, W3CAT and W3C files.
If you want to convert WCAT file to MP3, WAV, AAC, FLAC, OGG, WMA, M4A, AIFF, OPUS, ALAC, APE or WV, you can use WinCatalog or similar software from the "Disk Catalog Database Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MIDI, AAC, TTA, AU, WV, DTS, MID, FLAC, RA, MP3, PCM or WAV files to WCAT, try WinCatalog or another comparable tool in the "Disk Catalog Database Storage" 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 WCAT converter.