Document
What is a .asc file?
A .asc file is a 7-bit ASCII Text. This is a document format, so it holds text and layout meant to be read. Confusingly, this extension has been used by 2 different formats over the years — they're all listed below.
This extension has been used by more than one format
2 different formats have claimed .asc over the years, so two files with the same extension aren't necessarily the same kind of thing.
How to open a .asc file
- Try LibreOffice (free, Windows/Mac/Linux) — it opens an enormous range of current and historic document formats.
- Microsoft Word and Google Docs handle most mainstream document types.
- If nothing opens it, open it in a text editor: many older document formats have readable text inside.
The registry records this extension against 7-bit ASCII Text, 8-bit ASCII Text, so software from that family is the most likely match.
How to convert a .asc file
- Once it opens in LibreOffice or Word, Save As .docx or .pdf to get it into a format you can use anywhere.
MIME type
When a .asc file travels over the web, servers label it with this MIME type:
text/plainThe technical record
For archivists, developers and the merely curious: these are the PRONOM registry entries for .asc.
| Format name | Version | MIME type | PUID |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7-bit ASCII Text | — | text/plain | x-fmt/22 |
| 8-bit ASCII Text | — | text/plain | x-fmt/283 |