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Microsoft/MSN MARC archive (.mar)

.mar file signature | application/octet-stream

Microsoft/MSN MARC archive

Safe

Magic Bytes

Offset 0
4D 41 52 31 00

Sources: Gary Kessler

All Known Signatures

3 signature variants are documented for .mar files across multiple sources.

Hex Signature Offset Sources
4D 41 52 31 00 0 Gary Kessler
4D 41 52 43 0 Gary Kessler
4D 41 72 30 00 0 Gary Kessler

Extension

.mar

MIME Type

application/octet-stream

Byte Offset

0

Risk Level

Safe

Validation Code

How to validate .mar files in Python

Python
def is_mar(file_path: str) -> bool:
    """Check if file is a valid MAR by magic bytes."""
    signature = bytes([0x4D, 0x41, 0x52, 0x31, 0x00])
    with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
        return f.read(5) == signature

How to validate .mar files in Node.js

Node.js
function isMAR(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
  const signature = Buffer.from([0x4D, 0x41, 0x52, 0x31, 0x00]);
  return buffer.subarray(0, 5).equals(signature);
}

How to validate .mar files in Go

Go
func IsMAR(data []byte) bool {
    signature := []byte{0x4D, 0x41, 0x52, 0x31, 0x00}
    if len(data) < 5 {
        return false
    }
    return bytes.Equal(data[:5], signature)
}

API Endpoint

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

See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a .mar file?

A .mar file is a Microsoft/MSN MARC archive file. Microsoft/MSN MARC archive

What are the magic bytes for .mar files?

The magic bytes for Microsoft/MSN MARC archive files are 4D 41 52 31 00 at byte offset 0. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.

How do I validate a .mar file?

To validate a .mar file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (4D 41 52 31 00) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.

What is the MIME type for .mar files?

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

Is it safe to open .mar files?

Microsoft/MSN MARC archive (.mar) 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.