Skip to main content
Service phase: Beta

This service is still in development. Give us your feedback or view this page on the current PRONOM service.

Format

Microsoft Word Document (Password Protected)

Download XML

Summary

Name
Microsoft Word Document (Password Protected)
Version
97-2003
Identifiers
  • MIME: application/msword
  • PUID: fmt/754
Format type
Word Processor
Description
With the release of Word 97, Microsoft revised the native binary word processing format, which is based on its generic OLE2 Compound Document Format. A Word document is stored as a ‘WordDocument’ stream within a Compound Document Format file. The format remained unchanged with the releases of Word 2000, 2002 and 2003. An alternative extension of .wbk refers to a backup file of a Word document, however there is no material or structural difference between a .wbk file and the .doc file it is a backup of. Within the 'WordDocument' stream, the byte at position 0x0B deals with encryption/obfuscation, as per the MS FibBase description page - https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd944620(v=office.12).aspx. The first bit (Least Significant Bit (LSB) ordering) specifies whether the file is encrypted, meaning that if the byte at 0x0B is an 'odd' byte (e.g. 01, 03, 05, 07, 09, 0B, 0D, 0F, 11, 13 etc.) then this indicates obfuscation/encryption is present.
File extensions
wbk, doc
Source
Archives New Zealand / Archives New Zealand
Developed by
Microsoft Corporation
Supported by
Microsoft Corporation

Relationships

Has lower priority than
Has priority over
Is subsequent version of
Is subtype of

Container signatures

Type: OLE2

1110 - Microsoft Word 97 OLE2 Password Protected

File path
WordDocument
File path
CompObj

Byte sequence reference

BOFoffset

Sub sequences
Min Frag Length
Position
1
Sub sequence min offset
40
Sub sequence max offset
1024
Sequence
10 00 00 00 'Word.Document.8' 00
File path
WordDocument

Byte sequence reference

BOFoffset

Sub sequences
Min Frag Length
Position
1
Sub sequence min offset
11
Sub sequence max offset
11
Sequence
[&01]

Changelog

  • Updated in V85

    Release date
    29 June 2016

    Microsoft Word Document (Password Protected) 97-2003: Corrected name from Microsoft Word Document (ord proord Protected) 97-2003. Error reported by Archives New Zealand.

  • Added in V83

    Release date
    17 December 2015

    Microsoft Word Document (Password Protected) 97-2003: Container signature developed as a collaboration between The National Archives, Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kawanatanga, State Records New South Wales and Matt Palmer.

    Microsoft Word Document (Password Protected) 97-2003: Full entry added.