WordPerfect file signature
Magic number at the start of the file · ÿWPC
WordPerfect files open with a flag byte FF followed by the ASCII letters WPC. The bytes after this prefix identify the product and file type, which WordPerfect uses to tell documents, macros and graphics apart.
What this magic number means
A magic number is a short, fixed run of bytes at a known position that tells a program what a file really is, no matter what the filename says. If a file starts with the bytes FF 57 50 43 (the text ÿWPC), it is a WordPerfect file.
The WPC prefix covers the whole WordPerfect family, so the product-type bytes that follow, not the first four bytes alone, distinguish a .wpd document from other WordPerfect file kinds.
Formats that use the FF 57 50 43 signature
These file types in our database carry this signature:
How to check a file's signature
You can read the first bytes of any file yourself. The magic bytes are shown in hex, the same way this page lists them.
Linux & macOS
- xxd -l 16 example.wpd
- hexdump -C -n 16 example.wpd
- file example.wpd
Windows (PowerShell)
- Format-Hex -Path example.wpd -Count 16
Python
- open("example.wpd","rb").read(4).hex()
In your browser
- Drop the file into the WhatFileType identifier, which reads the signature without uploading it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the WordPerfect file signature?
WordPerfect files start with the hex bytes FF 57 50 43 (ÿWPC in ASCII). This magic number identifies the format regardless of the file's name or extension.
How do I check a file's magic number?
Open the file in a hex editor, or run a command such as xxd -l 16 example.wpd on Linux or macOS, or Format-Hex -Path example.wpd -Count 16 in Windows PowerShell, and read the first bytes.
Can a file fake the WordPerfect signature?
Renaming a file does not change its bytes, so the extension can lie but the signature usually cannot. A genuine WordPerfect file has these exact bytes; a file with the wrong bytes is not really WordPerfect, whatever its name says.