What is the WRI file format?
.wri is a text document file used by the Microsoft Write word processor. .wri files can store elements such as page layout and formatting, styles, images, and other information - later revisions of the binary format also support embedded OLE objects, sharing structural roots with early .DOC files. The .wri format is largely obsolete; many currently available document formats are more popular.
.wri files were used by Microsoft Write, bundled with Windows versions 1.0 through 3.11. In Windows 95, Write was replaced by WordPad, which retained the ability to open .wri files. Nowadays, .wri files are very seldom used and Microsoft ceased further support of the format around 1992. Modern Windows dropped native support entirely; LibreOffice's legacy import is the common way to open them today.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA .wri is old binary document data and is generally safe; the only real concern is that the 0x32BE variant can embed OLE objects, and very old, unpatched office software has a history of parser vulnerabilities. Open unfamiliar .wri files in a modern, sandboxed app like LibreOffice rather than hunting down ancient Windows 3.x tools. Avoid sketchy 'WRI viewer/converter' download sites that bundle adware - LibreOffice does the job free.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open WRI files
Windows3 apps
LibreOffice Writer
Open-source File > Open the .wri; if the legacy Write filter is present it imports text and formatting, then Save As DOCX/RTF/PDF. 
Microsoft Word (older versions)
Paid Word 2003-2010 can open .wri via the legacy Write/Word converter; current Word versions no longer include it.
WordPad (legacy Windows)
Built-in On Windows up to ~10, open the .wri in WordPad and Save As RTF/DOCX. (WordPad was removed from Windows 11 in 2024.) 
macOS1 app
LibreOffice Writer
Open-source Open the .wri; export to DOCX/RTF/PDF. (Word for Mac no longer imports Write reliably.) 
Linux1 app
Technical details
deep spec| File encoding | Binary (not plain text or XML) |
| Byte order | Little-endian |
| Magic bytes | 0x31 0xBE 0x00 0x00 (early variant, no OLE); 0x32 0xBE 0x00 0x00 (later variant, OLE-capable) |
| MIME type | application/x-mswrite |
| Typical file size | 2 KB - 1 MB (text plus any embedded bitmaps or OLE objects) |
| Container format | Microsoft Write binary; structurally related to early Word .doc layout - not OLE2/CFBF |
| OLE object support | Only in the 0x32BE header variant (Windows 3.x); absent in the original 0x31BE variant |
| Text stream | Flat binary text stream; character and paragraph formatting stored in separate tables |
| Native application | Microsoft Write (WRITE.EXE), bundled with Windows 1.0 through 3.11 |
| Superseded by | WordPad in Windows 95; format development frozen circa 1992 |
| Modern compatibility | No native support in Windows Vista and later; LibreOffice can open most .wri files via legacy import |
| Embedded graphics | Supports Windows bitmap (BMP) images; OLE-object embedding available in the later 0x32BE variant |
| Released | 1985 (Windows 1.0, bundled Write applet) |
| Latest version | Windows Write format frozen ~1992; Write replaced by WordPad in Windows 95 |
WRI conversions
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about WRI files.
