Tips to open NB file

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

NB file extension

File Name Mathematica Notebook
File Developer Wolfram Research
File Category Spreadsheet Files

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

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

What is NB file?

The file with the extension NB is the Spreadsheet Files file type. The creator of this file is Wolfram Research. Spreadsheet Files consists of 100 similar files. Mathematica Notebook is supported by 3 operating systems. Although it can be found with greater or lesser success on any operating system, it will only be useful on Linux, Mac OS, Windows. This file type can also be opened by 5 other programs. You can use CDF Player, Mathematica, Wolfram CDF Player in case Wolfram Research Mathematica cannot be used.

How to open NB file?

The most common problem when using Mathematica Notebook is that a specific NB is not associated with the program. This causes the file NB to open by system applications not designed for this purpose, or to display a message that there is no associated program. This problem can be easily remedied.

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the NB 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 Wolfram Research Mathematica

In this case, you should first verify that the Wolfram Research Mathematica application is installed on the computer. The easiest method is to use the system search engine by entering the program name Wolfram Research Mathematica in it. In the absence of an appropriate program, its installation in the vast majority of cases will fix the problem. Below is a list of programs that support the file NB.

Step 2. Create association of Wolfram Research Mathematica with NB files

If the application is or has been freshly installed, but the NB file still does not use the Wolfram Research Mathematica program, it means no association. It is most convenient to call the context menu with the right mouse button and select Properties. The displayed window will contain information about the program that supports this type of file. Changes can be made using the "Change" button. 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. The "always use the selected program ..." field will set the Wolfram Research Mathematica application as the default for handling the NB file.

Step 3. Update Wolfram Research Mathematica to the latest version

If, however, after binding Wolfram Research Mathematica with Mathematica Notebook there were still problems, you should update the program to the latest version.

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

If the above steps do not help, you can assume that the file itself is not correct. This could be due to the file itself, the cleanest issues are:

The NB file may be unusually small compared to the original file. Usually this applies to NB files downloaded from the Internet in case the download did not finish properly. Downloading the file again should fix the problem.
The operating system may be infected with a computer virus. A quick virus scan using an up-to-date antivirus program should clear up any doubts. Alternatively, you can use the scanners available online. However, it is important to scan the entire system, not only the file NB or the program directory. However, remember that not every infected NB file can be recovered, so it is important to take care of regular backups.
Older version of NB file may not always be supported by the latest software version. Help should be sought from the software developer, as they usually recommend using free file converters or installing an older version of the program.
There can be many reasons for the failure. Repairing is very dependent on the file type. Sometimes the program itself has options to repair the most popular NB file corruption.
The program can also signal the fact of encryption. The encrypted NB files cannot be played on other computers than the one on which they were encrypted, they must be decrypted before using on another device.
The operating system protects files in some locations (e.g. the root of the system partition) against unauthorized access. While there is usually no problem reading such a file, it may not be possible to save it. Copying the NB file to another location will fix the problem.
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. Closing other programs should help. If the error persists after closing other programs, wait for a while. However, some background programs may block the NB file while scanning. If this does not work either, restart the device.