DC File

What are DC files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a DC file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your DC files.

What is a DC file?

DC files have multiple uses, and Datel Action Replay Cheat Data is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

Datel Action Replay Cheat Data

.DC files are data files used in the Datel Action Replay device running on Windows 95/98. The Action Replay was a game enhancer AKA cheating device for games running on Windows 95/98 personal computers. The .DC files were cheat data files for the specific games played by the user. It was designed by a company called Datel.

Later on, Action Replay was re-branded as the GameShark in the US region. The device was also available on several other gaming platforms.

How to open DC files

Important: Different programs may use files with the DC file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your DC file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested ten different DC openers which you will find listed below.

Last updated: October 22, 2026

All known file formats using extension .DC

While Datel Action Replay Cheat Data is a popular type of DC-file, we know of 3 different uses of the .DC file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

DeltaCad Drawing

DeltaCad drawing files store vector-based CAD drawings created by DeltaCad from Midnight Software, designed for precise 2D technical and schematic work. They capture lines, arcs, circles, splines, filled and empty shapes, text (regular and curved), dimensions, using layers and symbols, with exact numeric units and scales. These files are made when a user saves or exports a draft in DeltaCad for future editing or print-ready output.

Creation of these drawings is done solely within DeltaCad. When "Save" or "Save As" is selected, DeltaCad produces the file in its native drawing format, preserving all layout, layers, symbol definitions, text styles and dimensioning so that the drawing can later be opened again in full for modification. The format also serves as the default template if a "New" drawing is based on a template file (for example DEFAULT.DC).

A file starts with the ASCII signature "MCB" at offset zero (bytes 0x4D 43 42) which identifies it as a DeltaCad drawing.

DesignCAD Drawing

DesignCAD Drawing files are native drawings produced by the DesignCAD application from IMSI/Design. They store design information for both two-dimensional sketches and three-dimensional models, including solid and wireframe geometry, drafting objects like arcs and polylines, used in fields such as engineering or architectural layout. These files allow using named layers, blocks (reusable grouped objects), color and unit settings, and full drawing configurations preserved within them.

Such drawings are written and edited exclusively with DesignCAD. When needing to share or convert, typical workflows involve exporting from DesignCAD to widely-supported formats like DWG or DXF. These formats are used to enable interoperability with CAD tools that do not support the native DesignCAD format. DesignCAD also later introduced newer native formats (.dcd, .dc3) to replace or supplement the older .dc format.

Internally the format uses a proprietary binary container with little-endian byte ordering. It embeds data directly (not compressed), including vector primitives, layers, blocks, color, units and coordinate system settings. There is no single fixed file signature universally documented; identification relies mostly on matching the format's origin with IMSI/Design and its legacy status, alongside content inspection for embedded ASCII identifiers (such as "DESIGNCAD DRAWINGL", "CONTENTS", "PREVIEW", "SYMBOLBMP") that often appear at specific offsets.

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of DC files. Remember, different programs may use DC files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

Help us help others

File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about DC file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.