What is the WOR file format?
The .wor file is a MapInfo workspace - a plain-text script that saves and restores the complete state of a MapInfo Pro geographic information system (GIS) session. When a user saves their work in MapInfo Pro, the application writes a .wor file containing MapBasic statements that record which data tables were open, how maps and browser windows were arranged, layer styling, and query parameters.
A .wor file always begins with !workspace on the first line, followed by a version number (for example !workspace 1200 for MapInfo Pro 12.0) and a character set declaration such as !charset WindowsLatin1. The remainder of the file is a sequence of Open Table, Map, and Browse commands that MapInfo executes on load to recreate the session exactly.
Critically, .wor files store references to external data files (.tab, .shp, .mif, .mid, etc.) rather than the data itself. Moving or renaming those files without updating the workspace will cause errors when opening it. Because .wor files are plain text, they can be edited in any text editor to fix broken paths or adjust window and layer settings. MapInfo Pro remains the primary tool for creating and opening .wor files; older workspaces open in newer versions but not vice versa.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWPlain text file executed as MapBasic by MapInfo Pro. Could theoretically reference malicious network paths or run destructive MapBasic commands if crafted by an attacker, but risk in practice is very low.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open WOR files
Windows2 apps
NotePad++ text editor
Built-in Right-click → Open with → Notepad to view/edit MapBasic statements and fix broken file paths. 
MapInfo Pro
Paid File → Open Workspace, browse to the .wor file. All referenced data layers must be accessible at the stored paths. Technical details
deep spec| File encoding | Plain text; Windows-1252 (WindowsLatin1) by default; character set declared in file header |
| Magic identifier | First line always `!workspace` followed by a version integer (e.g. `!workspace 1200`) |
| Version field | Integer on second line: e.g. `1200` = MapInfo Pro 12.0, `2300` = MapInfo Pro 2023 |
| Character set declaration | `!charset WindowsLatin1` (or similar); controls encoding of embedded strings |
| Scripting language | MapBasic - MapInfo's built-in scripting and automation language |
| Data storage model | References to external data files only (`.tab`, `.shp`, `.mif`, `.mid`); data is NOT embedded |
| Typical file size | 1 KB - 500 KB |
| Platform | Windows only (MapInfo Pro is a Windows-only application) |
| MIME type | application/octet-stream (no dedicated MIME registered) |
| Backward compatibility | Older workspaces open in newer MapInfo versions; newer workspaces may not open in significantly older versions |
| Editable in text editor | Yes - plain text; file paths and layer settings can be manually corrected |
| Developer history | MapInfo Corporation → Pitney Bowes Software → Precisely (renamed 2019) |
| Released | early 1990s (MapInfo for Windows) |
| Latest version | MapInfo Pro 2023 (2023) |
WOR conversions
Community Q&A
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