Tips to open MAB file

Can't open the MAB file? You are not the only one. Thousands of users face similar problems every day. Below you will find tips on how to open MAB files as well as a list of programs that support MAB files.

MAB file extension

File Name Mozilla Address Book
File Developer Mozilla
File Category Misc Files

The MAB file is supported on 3 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the MAB files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the MAB file on each system platform.

Operating systems
  • 3
  • 3
  • 2
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

What is MAB file?

The file in the MAB format belongs to the Misc Files category. It was designed by Mozilla. Misc Files consists of 6033 similar files. Mozilla Address Book appears on 3 operating systems as a functional file. Although it can be found with greater or lesser success on any operating system, it will only be useful on Linux, Mac OS, Windows. It is recommended to use Mozilla Thunderbird to handle this file. This is a program created by Mozilla Corporation. There are also 7 alternative programs to handle the MAB file. The Apache OpenOffice, LibreOffice, Mozilla SeaMonkey programs will also handle the file when the Mozilla Thunderbird program does not fulfill its role.

How to open MAB file?

The most common problem when using Mozilla Address Book is that a specific MAB is not associated with the program. Thus, when you open MAB, the program selection wizard or some other program starts. How to solve such a problem?

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the MAB file icon you want to open. If the operating system has an appropriate application to support it and there is also an association between the file and the program, the file should be opened.

Step 1. Install Mozilla Thunderbird

An often overlooked issue is to make sure that Mozilla Thunderbird is installed on the computer. To do this, enter the name Mozilla Thunderbird into the system search engine. If we do not have this program, it is worth installing it, as it will help you automatically associate the file MAB with Mozilla Thunderbird. Later in this article you will find a list of programs that can open MAB files.

Step 2. Create association of Mozilla Thunderbird with MAB files

If, despite the installed application, the MAB file does not start in the Mozilla Thunderbird application, you must create a file association. The association can be created using the drop-down list available by right-clicking on the file and selecting Properties. The window will show, among other things, the type of the file and the information by which the program is used to launch the file. Using the "Change" button we can set the program to handle this type. It may happen that in the next window there will be no appropriate program - however, this can be corrected with the "Browse" option where you should manually indicate the program location. However, it is important to check the "Always use the selected program ..." box, this will allow you to permanently associate the MAB file with the Mozilla Thunderbird application.

Step 3. Update Mozilla Thunderbird to the latest version

If, however, after binding Mozilla Thunderbird with Mozilla Address Book there were still problems, you should update the program to the latest version. Some applications allow you to update from the program level, and for others you need to download the installer from the Mozilla Corporation page and install.

Step 4. Check for the following problems with the MAB file

Of course, it may happen that despite the above steps, the file still does not work. The most common file problems are:

The affected file may be 0 KB or smaller than expected. Usually this applies to MAB files downloaded from the Internet in case the download did not finish properly. Downloading the file again should fix the problem.
The computer may have fallen victim to a computer virus or hacker. Perform a virus scan using available and up-to-date anti-virus software. Some antivirus vendors also provide free online scanners. However, it is important to scan the entire system, not only the file MAB or the program directory. Sometimes virus-infected MAB files cannot be recovered, so make a backup in advance.
Older version of MAB file may not always be supported by the latest software version. On their websites, developers usually offer free solutions to such problems, e.g. in the form of a conversion program or an older version of the program.
There can be many reasons for this. Depending on the type of file, it is necessary to repair it accordingly. Some programs offer the ability to automatically repair MAB file corruption. The easiest way is to restore the file from a backup, if there is one, or contact Mozilla
When reading, a message appears that the file was encrypted or corrupted. The encrypted file MAB except for the special designation, works normally, but only on the device where it was encrypted, before transferring it to another machine, decryption is required.
The operating system protects files in some locations (e.g. the root of the system partition) against unauthorized access. These directories are write-protected to them and it's very hard to fix this problem. If possible, you can try to move the MAB file to another location.
This can happen on a file that does not support multiple access. Some file types can only be opened in one program at a time. Running programs (including those in the background) should be verified. If the error persists after closing other programs, wait for a while. However, some background programs may block the MAB file while scanning. If the problem persists, restart the machine.