Tips to open PDB file

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

PDB file extension

File Name Program Database
File Category Database Files

The PDB file is supported on 2 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the PDB files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the PDB file on each system platform.

Operating systems
  • 2
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

What is PDB file?

The .PDB file is a database file. The database saved in this file is usually in a program-specific format. In most cases, access to the data will be possible only through the target program and the manufacturer's tools. This proves that .PDB files can differ in structure. Internal databases are often confused with a programming .PDB file, which contains the data necessary to properly analyze an application. However, this type of file should not be accessible to the user.

How to open PDB file?

An often recurring problem with Program Database is that PDB is not associated with the correct program file. This is manifested by the fact that PDB files open in unusual applications or do not have an assigned program. This can be quickly resolved by following the instructions below.

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the PDB 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 Quicken Essentials

An often overlooked issue is to make sure that Quicken Essentials is installed on the computer. The easiest method is to use the system search engine by entering the program name Quicken Essentials in it. If we do not have this program, it is worth installing it, as it will help you automatically associate the file PDB with Quicken Essentials. Below is a list of programs that support the file PDB.

Step 2. Create association of Quicken Essentials with PDB files

If, despite the installed application, the PDB file does not start in the Quicken Essentials 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 displayed window will contain information about the program that supports this type of file. Using the "Change" button we can select the desired program. If there is no software on the list, simply select "Browse" and manually select the directory where the application is installed. Checking the "Always use the selected program ..." box will permanently associate the PDB file with the Quicken Essentials program.

Step 3. Update Quicken Essentials to the latest version

If, despite the association of the Quicken Essentials program with the Program Database file, the file still does not open, check the program version and possibly update it to the newest version.

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

If the above steps do not help, you can assume that the file itself is not correct. The most common file problems are:

The PDB file may be unusually small compared to the original file. Usually this applies to PDB files downloaded from the Internet in case the download did not finish properly. The only repair option is to download the file again.
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. Alternatively, you can use the scanners available online. The scan should cover the entire computer, not only the PDB file that we want to open. Sometimes virus-infected PDB files cannot be recovered, so make a backup in advance.
Older version of PDB 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.
The file may be corrupted in a number of ways. Depending on the type of file, it is necessary to repair it accordingly. Sometimes the program itself has options to repair the most popular PDB file corruption.
When reading, a message appears that the file was encrypted or corrupted. The encrypted file PDB 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.
Some of the system directories are excluded from modification. These directories are write-protected to them and it's very hard to fix this problem. If possible, you can try to move the PDB file to another location.
This can happen on a file that does not support multiple access. In this case, the PDB file is blocked by the first application to open it. Just close unnecessary programs. If the error persists after closing other programs, wait for a while. However, some background programs may block the PDB file while scanning. If the problem persists, restart the machine.