.DIZ File Extension
Description in Zip File
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What is a DIZ file?
A DIZ file is a plain text file known as a "Description in Zip" (DIZ) file that describes the contents, such as a program or files, compressed in a .ZIP archive. It is a small file since it contains a brief description that typically consists of 10 lines of text or less, with each line being less than 45 characters. Any text editor can open and edit DIZ files since they store plain text.
More Information
Computer users initially used DIZ files when distributing files via BBS (bulletin board systems). They would name the files FILE_ID.DIZ, where FILE_ID stands for "file identification" and DIZ stands for "Description in Zip file." The information contained in FILE_ID.DIZ files provided system administrators with helpful descriptions of each file uploaded to the system.
As the popularity of bulletin board systems declined over the years, FILE_ID.DIZ files became less common. However, DIZ files are still prominent in the Warez scene, a community of people illegally distributing copyrighted content. These users typically package FILE_ID.DIZ files with their ZIP distributions of unlicensed software.
Common DIZ Filenames
FILE_ID.DIZ - Common filename for the DIZ text file that describes the content stored in a ZIP archive.
How to open a DIZ file
You can open DIZ files with any text editor. For example, you can use Microsoft Notepad or WordPad in Windows, which are bundled with the operating system. If you are a Mac user, you can use Apple TextEdit, which is bundled with macOS.
There are many other programs you can use to open DIZ files. Some options include Microsoft Word (multiplatform), Notepad++ (Windows), Apple Pages (macOS), and gedit (Linux).
NOTE: You may need to change the .diz file extension to .txt to open it with a text editor.