File Conversion – Format of .data Binary Files for Parental Control Logs

file conversionparental-controls

Looking through the parental control logs on the path "/Library/Application Support/Apple/ParentalControls/Users/max/<year>/<month>/", I am finding a bunch of files with the extension .data. Trying to open them in a text editor, however, tells me that they are binary files. What format are the files in, and what program/programs can I use to edit the content of them? If they cannot be edited, is there way to convert the files back and forth between another file type?

Thanks

Best Answer

I checked that area for one of my kids and found a file for today since she logged in earlier this morning.

It looks like these are binary plist files. You can convert them to XML with plutil -convert xml1 18-usage.data where 18-usage.data is the name of your file.

Here's the contents. It's not terribly interesting.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>$archiver</key>
    <string>NSKeyedArchiver</string>
    <key>$objects</key>
    <array>
        <string>$null</string>
        <dict>
            <key>$class</key>
            <dict>
                <key>CF$UID</key>
                <integer>14</integer>
            </dict>
            <key>NS.keys</key>
            <array>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>2</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>3</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>4</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>5</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>6</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>7</integer>
                </dict>
            </array>
            <key>NS.objects</key>
            <array>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>8</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>15</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>18</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>21</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>24</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>27</integer>
                </dict>
            </array>
        </dict>
        <string>com.apple.familycontrols.useragent</string>
        <string>com.unknown.activateSettings</string>
        <string>com.apple.Safari</string>
        <string>__COMPUTER__</string>
        <string>com.apple.finder</string>
        <string>com.apple.iTunesHelper</string>
        <dict>
            <key>$class</key>
            <dict>
                <key>CF$UID</key>
                <integer>14</integer>
            </dict>
            <key>NS.keys</key>
            <array>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>9</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>10</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>11</integer>
                </dict>
            </array>
            <key>NS.objects</key>
            <array>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>12</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>2</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>13</integer>
                </dict>
            </array>
        </dict>
        <string>duration</string>
        <string>uniqueID</string>
        <string>displayName</string>
        <integer>7</integer>
        <string>Parental Controls</string>
        <dict>
            <key>$classes</key>
            <array>
                <string>NSMutableDictionary</string>
                <string>NSDictionary</string>
                <string>NSObject</string>
            </array>
            <key>$classname</key>
            <string>NSMutableDictionary</string>
        </dict>
        <dict>
            <key>$class</key>
            <dict>
                <key>CF$UID</key>
                <integer>14</integer>
            </dict>
            <key>NS.keys</key>
            <array>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>9</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>10</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>11</integer>
                </dict>
            </array>
            <key>NS.objects</key>
            <array>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>16</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>3</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>17</integer>
                </dict>
            </array>
        </dict>
        <integer>0</integer>
        <string>activateSettings</string>
        <dict>
            <key>$class</key>
            <dict>
                <key>CF$UID</key>
                <integer>14</integer>
            </dict>
            <key>NS.keys</key>
            <array>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>9</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>10</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>11</integer>
                </dict>
            </array>
            <key>NS.objects</key>
            <array>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>19</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>4</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>20</integer>
                </dict>
            </array>
        </dict>
        <integer>3567</integer>
        <string>Safari</string>
        <dict>
            <key>$class</key>
            <dict>
                <key>CF$UID</key>
                <integer>14</integer>
            </dict>
            <key>NS.keys</key>
            <array>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>9</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>10</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>11</integer>
                </dict>
            </array>
            <key>NS.objects</key>
            <array>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>22</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>5</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>23</integer>
                </dict>
            </array>
        </dict>
        <integer>3588</integer>
        <string>Computer</string>
        <dict>
            <key>$class</key>
            <dict>
                <key>CF$UID</key>
                <integer>14</integer>
            </dict>
            <key>NS.keys</key>
            <array>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>9</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>10</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>11</integer>
                </dict>
            </array>
            <key>NS.objects</key>
            <array>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>25</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>6</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>26</integer>
                </dict>
            </array>
        </dict>
        <integer>12</integer>
        <string>Finder</string>
        <dict>
            <key>$class</key>
            <dict>
                <key>CF$UID</key>
                <integer>14</integer>
            </dict>
            <key>NS.keys</key>
            <array>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>9</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>10</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>11</integer>
                </dict>
            </array>
            <key>NS.objects</key>
            <array>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>16</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>7</integer>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>CF$UID</key>
                    <integer>28</integer>
                </dict>
            </array>
        </dict>
        <string>iTunesHelper</string>
    </array>
    <key>$top</key>
    <dict>
        <key>root</key>
        <dict>
            <key>CF$UID</key>
            <integer>1</integer>
        </dict>
    </dict>
    <key>$version</key>
    <integer>100000</integer>
</dict>
</plist>
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