What is the 00 file format?
The .00 file is a save game file used by The Ur-Quan Masters. The game allows users to create 50 save files, with .00 being the first slot. Each save file occupies one save slot, numbered from 00 to 49. Save files are stored in the AppData\Roaming\uqm\save folder, which is hidden by default on Windows. Save files such as .00 can be transferred to other computers running a compatible version.
Ur-Quan Masters
The full name of the game is *Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters*. It is an open-source port of the original Star Control 2 (by Toys for Bob / Accolade) that allows it to run on modern operating systems including Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile devices. The original game was released in 1992; in 1994, 3DO released an enhanced version with redrawn graphics and voice acting. The Ur-Quan Masters port launched in 2002 and reached version 0.8.0 in 2017.
The .00 file is a binary snapshot of the full game state: fleet composition, ship loadouts, diplomacy counters, resource inventory, and universe exploration progress. The format is tightly coupled to the UQM version in use, so saves may not be compatible across major releases.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWUQM save files are game-specific binary blobs read only by the game engine; they pose no execution risk and contain no macros or scripts. Only risk: saving to wrong location may overwrite another save slot.
Format details
in a nutshell- Generic numbered split/multi-volume part (rare) - Some file splitters produce .00, .01, .02 as numbered chunks - far less common than the .001/.002 convention.
- Studievereniging Marie Curie binary file (db claim) - db_name references 'Studievereniging Marie Curie binary file' but no credible documentation exists for this use; dominant meaning is UQM save slot.
Programs that open 00 files
Windows1 app
The Ur-Quan Masters
Open-source Launch the game, select Load Game from the main menu, and choose the slot corresponding to the file number. 
macOS1 app
The Ur-Quan Masters
Open-source Launch the game, select Load Game from the main menu, and choose the matching slot. 
Linux1 app
The Ur-Quan Masters
Open-source Launch the game, select Load Game from the main menu, and choose the matching slot. Technical details
deep spec| Encoding | Binary (raw struct dump from UQM engine memory) |
| Byte order | Little-endian (x86/x64 host-native) |
| Container | Flat binary file; no wrapper format |
| Typical file size | Tens of kilobytes; well under 1 MB |
| Magic bytes | None publicly documented; no fixed file signature |
| Slot numbering | Zero-padded decimal: .00 = slot 1 through .49 = slot 50 (50 slots total) |
| Save directory (Windows) | AppData\Roaming\uqm\save (hidden folder; must exist for the game to recognize saves) |
| Data stored | Fleet list, ship loadouts, universe exploration bitfields, diplomacy counters, resource inventory |
| Version compatibility | Format is tightly coupled to UQM source version; saves may be incompatible between major releases (0.6/0.7/0.8) |
| Save transfer | Files can be copied between Windows, macOS, and Linux installations of the same UQM version |
| Access method | Save slots accessible only through the in-game Load/Save menu; no documented external parsing tools exist |
| Released | 2002 (The Ur-Quan Masters open-source port) |
| Latest version | UQM 0.8.0 (2017) |
Community Q&A
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