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MS Answer Wizard file (.aw)

.aw file signature | application/octet-stream

MS Answer Wizard is a proprietary file format created by Microsoft for Answer Wizard help-index data used in older Microsoft Office and Windows applications. It was used to provide keyword-based assistance and context-sensitive help within Microsoft Help systems and related documentation tools. The format is legacy and largely obsolete; it is generally safe to open, though files from untrusted sources should still be handled cautiously.

Safe

Magic Bytes

Offset 0
8A 01 09 00 00 00 E1 08 00 00 99 19

Sources: Gary Kessler

Extension

.aw

MIME Type

application/octet-stream

Byte Offset

0

Risk Level

Safe

Validation Code

How to validate .aw files in Python

Python 
def is_aw(file_path: str) -> bool:
    """Check if file is a valid AW by magic bytes."""
    signature = bytes([0x8A, 0x01, 0x09, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0xE1, 0x08, 0x00, 0x00, 0x99, 0x19])
    with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
        return f.read(12) == signature

How to validate .aw files in Node.js

Node.js 
function isAW(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
  const signature = Buffer.from([0x8A, 0x01, 0x09, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0xE1, 0x08, 0x00, 0x00, 0x99, 0x19]);
  return buffer.subarray(0, 12).equals(signature);
}

How to validate .aw files in Go

Go 
func IsAW(data []byte) bool {
    signature := []byte{0x8A, 0x01, 0x09, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0xE1, 0x08, 0x00, 0x00, 0x99, 0x19}
    if len(data) < 12 {
        return false
    }
    return bytes.Equal(data[:12], signature)
}

API Endpoint

GET /api/v1/aw
curl https://filesignature.org/api/v1/aw

See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a .aw file?

A .aw file is a MS Answer Wizard file file. MS Answer Wizard is a proprietary file format created by Microsoft for Answer Wizard help-index data used in older Microsoft Office and Windows applications. It was used to provide keyword-based assistance and context-sensitive help within Microsoft Help systems and related documentation tools. The format is legacy and largely obsolete; it is generally safe to open, though files from untrusted sources should still be handled cautiously.

What are the magic bytes for .aw files?

The magic bytes for MS Answer Wizard file files are 8A 01 09 00 00 00 E1 08 00 00 99 19 at byte offset 0. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.

How do I validate a .aw file?

To validate a .aw file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (8A 01 09 00 00 00 E1 08 00 00 99 19) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.

What is the MIME type for .aw files?

There is no officially registered MIME type for .aw files. Systems typically use application/octet-stream as a generic fallback when handling this format.

Is it safe to open .aw files?

MS Answer Wizard file (.aw) files are generally safe to open. They are classified as low risk because they primarily contain data rather than executable code. However, always ensure files come from a trusted source.