Tips to open VBK file

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

VBK file extension

File Name VitalSource EBook
File Developer Vital Source Technologies
File Category Text Files

The VBK file is supported on 4 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the VBK files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the VBK file on each system platform.

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

What is VBK file?

The file in the VBK format belongs to the Text Files category. The author of this format is Vital Source Technologies. Additionally, the Text Files category contains 440 of other files. VitalSource EBook is most often found on 4 operating systems. Although it can be found with greater or lesser success on any operating system, it will only be useful on Android, iOS, Mac OS, Windows. The main program that supports this format is VitalSource Bookshelf. This was created by VitalSource. There are also 3 alternative programs to handle the VBK file.

How to open VBK file?

An often recurring problem with VitalSource EBook is that VBK is not associated with the correct program file. This causes the file VBK 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 VBK 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 VitalSource Bookshelf

In this case, you should first verify that the VitalSource Bookshelf application is installed on the computer. The easiest method is to use the system search engine by entering the program name VitalSource Bookshelf in it. In the absence of an appropriate program, its installation in the vast majority of cases will fix the problem. Below you will find a list of applications that support VBK files.

Step 2. Create association of VitalSource Bookshelf with VBK files

However, it may happen that the application itself does not cause the VBK file to open in the VitalSource Bookshelf application, but you can set it manually. This option is available from the level of Properties of a specific file available in the context menu. 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. The "always use the selected program ..." field will set the VitalSource Bookshelf application as the default for handling the VBK file.

Step 3. Update VitalSource Bookshelf to the latest version

If, despite the association of the VitalSource Bookshelf program with the VitalSource EBook file, the file still does not open, check the program version and possibly update it to the newest version. This can be done using the application (if it provides such options) or from the VitalSource website and install the latest version.

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

The problem may also be with the file itself if the above steps don't work. The most common file problems are:

The VBK file may be unusually small compared to the original file. Usually this applies to VBK files downloaded from the Internet in case the download did not finish properly. The file should be downloaded again, making sure that the process has finished correctly.
The computer may have fallen victim to a computer virus or hacker. A virus scan using an up-to-date antivirus program should fix the problem. If this is not possible, you can use the online scanner. The scan should cover the entire computer, not only the VBK file that we want to open. Sometimes virus-infected VBK files cannot be recovered, so make a backup in advance.
Older version of VBK 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 option of recovering data from damaged VBK files. The easiest way is to restore the file from a backup, if there is one, or contact Vital Source Technologies
The program indicates that the file is encrypted or corrupted. The encrypted VBK files can be used by the device on which they were encrypted, on any other device it is required to have the appropriate cryptographic key and decrypt the file before its recovery.
Some operating systems do not allow file operations in certain locations, eg in system directories or directly on the system drive. While there is usually no problem reading such a file, it may not be possible to save it. It is best to move VBK to a different directory.
This problem usually affects more complex files. In this case, the VBK file is blocked by the first application to open it. Just close unnecessary programs. Sometimes you have to wait for the session to the file VBK to close. However, some background programs may block the VBK file while scanning. If nothing helps, please reset the device.