What is the WIZ file format?
.wiz files are associated with Microsoft wizard templates, most commonly those shipped with Microsoft Word 97 through Word 2003. WIZ files store data necessary for guiding users through a series of steps to complete a complex task - they contain custom templates, macros, and interface elements.
A .wiz file is structurally identical to a .dot Word template file and shares the same OLE2 Compound File Binary Format (CFBF) container with an embedded VBA macro project. The distinction is purely the extension: Microsoft used .wiz to separate wizard files from ordinary reusable templates. Word shipped wizards for letters, resumes, fax cover sheets, and memos, all stored as .wiz files.
WIZ files are used by Microsoft applications to guide users through a series of steps in completing complex tasks leading to a final output. Creating a .wiz file manually is possible, although it is a complex process. First, a .dot template must be created with Microsoft Word; next, all necessary macros must be added before changing the extension to .wiz. Opening a .wiz file in Word as a template allows the user to modify the saved macros, though encrypted wizard files are the exception.
Microsoft Word 2007 removed built-in wizards entirely, and the format was superseded by .dotm macro-enabled templates. Modern Word can open .wiz files but blocks macro execution by default under Protected View security policy. These files are effectively legacy-only as of 2026.
Security & safety
RISK: HIGHWIZ files contain VBA macros that auto-execute on open - the same macro execution vector as malicious DOC/DOT files. A WIZ file from an untrusted source should be treated with the same caution as an unsolicited Office macro document. Modern Word blocks macros by default (Protected View); do not override this for unknown WIZ files. The wizard format was also a known malware vector in the Word 97-2003 era.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open WIZ files
Windows3 apps
Microsoft Word
Paid Open directly in Word. Note: macros will be blocked by Protected View - enable only if the file source is trusted. Wizard dialog will not appear in Word 2007+; content is accessible as a document. 
LibreOffice Writer
Open-source Open via File → Open; LibreOffice reads the DOT-equivalent content. VBA macros may not execute correctly. 
macOS1 app
Technical details
deep spec| Container | OLE2 Compound File Binary Format (CFBF) |
| Magic bytes | `D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1` - OLE2 header, identical to `.doc` and `.dot` |
| Encoding | Binary, little-endian |
| Internal streams | WordDocument stream, VBA project storage, template data streams - identical structure to `.dot` |
| Macro type | VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) |
| Macro behaviour | Auto-executing macros launch the wizard UI when the file is opened in Word |
| Typical file size | 50 KB - 2 MB depending on embedded images and VBA project size |
| Encryption | None by default; Word password encryption possible but rare for wizard files |
| Compression | None - CFBF uses internal FAT allocation with no compression |
| OS | Windows primary; openable in macOS Word but wizard UI does not function |
| Word versions with built-in wizards | Word 97 through Word 2003 - Word 2007 removed wizards entirely |
| Structural equivalence | Identical to `.dot` - differs only by extension name convention |
| Successor format | `.dotm` (Office Open XML macro-enabled template, Word 2007+) |
| Security policy | Macro execution blocked by default in modern Word under Protected View / macro trust requirements |
| Released | 1997 (Microsoft Word 97) |
| Latest version | Word 2003 era (last version to ship wizards) |
WIZ conversions
Community Q&A
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