What is the PSW file format?
.psw is a text document file created by Pocket Word, a simplified version of Microsoft Word for mobile devices running Windows CE and Windows Mobile. A .psw file contains document data such as text, basic paragraph formatting, and character styles; unlike a full desktop Word document, it does not support headers, footers, footnotes, or comments.
.psw files allow users to create and edit text documents using Pocket Word, a word processor pre-installed on devices running the mobile version of Windows. Pocket Word shipped with Windows CE Handheld PCs from 1997 onward and with subsequent Windows Mobile / Pocket PC devices. The format is binary, stored as a Microsoft OLE2 Compound File Binary - the same structured-storage container used by desktop .doc files - and is identifiable by the D0 CF 11 E0 magic bytes at the start of the file.
.psw is a simplified document format closely related to .doc, and it is possible to export or convert such a file into the full .doc format. During the Windows Mobile era this conversion was typically performed automatically by Microsoft ActiveSync during device synchronization. On a modern PC the practical route is to open the file in Microsoft Word or LibreOffice Writer and save it as .doc or .docx. The closely related successor format used by later Windows Mobile versions of Pocket Word is .pwi.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA genuine Pocket Word .psw is a small data document and opening it in Word/LibreOffice is low-risk; as an OLE2 file it could in theory carry an OLE-embedded object, but Pocket Word didn't support macros, so the practical risk is minimal. The real pitfall is mistaken identity: if your .psw actually came from a password manager or encryption tool, it is an encrypted credentials store, not a document - don't try to 'open it as text', and only handle it with the app that created it. Avoid random 'free PSW viewer/converter' sites (PUP/adware); use LibreOffice or Word.
Format details
in a nutshell- Password / Password Saver file - Several password-manager and utility apps save an encrypted credentials store as .psw - unrelated to Pocket Word; do not open as a document.
- Broderbund Print Shop Deluxe project - Older Print Shop versions used .psw for a saved card/sign project (the meaning recorded in this site's db_name); opens only in The Print Shop / PrintMaster.
- Steganos / encrypted password list - Some security tools store an encrypted password list as .psw; it is ciphertext, not text.
Programs that open PSW files
Windows3 apps
Microsoft Word
Paid Older Word (2003/2007-era) opens .psw directly; in current Word, convert the file to .doc first (or use LibreOffice) then open. The db-recommended tool. 
LibreOffice Writer
Open-source Free; File > Open the .psw - Writer imports many Pocket Word documents, then Save As .docx/.odt. Best free option. 
Apache OpenOffice Writer
Open-source Opens many Pocket Word files like LibreOffice; lightly maintained - prefer LibreOffice. 
macOS2 apps
LibreOffice Writer
Open-source Free for Apple silicon/Intel; opens .psw and exports to .docx/.odt/.pdf.
Apache OpenOffice Writer
Open-source Opens many Pocket Word files; lightly maintained - LibreOffice preferred on modern macOS. 
Linux1 app
LibreOffice Writer
Open-source Preinstalled on most desktops; open the .psw and Save As .docx/.odt for modern use. Technical details
deep spec| Developer | Microsoft |
| Target platform | Windows CE, Pocket PC, Windows Mobile (1997 onward) |
| Container format | Microsoft OLE2 / Compound File Binary (structured storage) |
| File encoding | Binary, little-endian byte order |
| MIME type | application/x-pocket-word |
| Magic bytes (hex) | D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1 at offset 0 (OLE2 header, shared with desktop .doc) |
| Typical file size | A few KB to a few hundred KB (handheld notes and short documents) |
| Supported content | Text, basic character and paragraph formatting; some devices also accept handwriting (ink) input |
| Unsupported features | Headers, footers, footnotes, captions, and comments - all absent from the Pocket Word format |
| Compression | None - text and formatting data stored uncompressed inside the compound file |
| Encryption | None - Pocket Word provides no built-in document-level encryption |
| Synchronization | Microsoft ActiveSync automatically converted .psw to .doc (and back) during desktop sync |
| Application | Pocket Word (pre-installed word processor on Windows CE and Windows Mobile devices) |
| Successor format | .pwi - used by later Windows Mobile versions of Pocket Word |
| Desktop migration path | Open in Microsoft Word or LibreOffice Writer; save as .doc or .docx |
| Released | 1996-1997 (Windows CE / Handheld PC; Pocket Word) |
| Latest version | Windows Mobile era (mid-2000s); format effectively frozen - superseded by .pwi/.doc |
| Specification | learn.microsoft.com |
PSW conversions
Community Q&A
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