Extract text from dBASE memo files (DBT)
To convert DBT memo files to another format, you need dBASE or other Database software.
To convert other file formats to the "Database Memo File" file type, you need software like dBASE or a similar tool.
A .DBT file is primarily a legacy database memo file used by the dBASE database management system to store large blocks of text. Because the main database table (the DBF file) has strict character limits for standard fields, longer text entries are offloaded into the .DBT file. Other specialized uses for the .DBT extension include surveying project databases created by Trimble Navigation (which are often standard SQLite databases under the hood), imposition layout templates for EFI Fiery, and game data tables for older titles like The Guild 2.
The most common software used to open and manage these files is dBASE, along with legacy xBase implementations like Microsoft FoxPro or Clipper. If your .DBT file comes from surveying equipment, you will need Trimble software or an SQLite viewer.
Users frequently need to convert .DBT files because the format is outdated and highly restrictive. The biggest disadvantage of a dBASE .DBT file is its strict dependency: it is completely useless without its corresponding DBF file. It is a proprietary, legacy format that cannot be opened by modern web browsers, standard text editors, or business intelligence tools without specialized database drivers. Attempting to open a dBASE memo file directly often results in garbled text and broken database links.
We recommend converting legacy dBASE data into universally supported formats like CSV, SQL, or XLSX. Converting to these targets ensures that your data is accessible in modern tools like Excel or modern relational databases (like MySQL or PostgreSQL). However, be aware that migrating legacy data often results in the loss of original software-specific indexing and custom field formatting.
Converting a .DBT file directly is extremely difficult. It is a closed, proprietary format that usually requires the original database engine to properly read, reconstruct the text pointers, and export the data. Standard online converters almost always fail because they lack the context of the parent database. If our analysis detects a supported underlying format - such as an embedded SQLite database in the case of Trimble files - viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your DBT file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted DBF, BDT, DTB, DPT, DXB, DTA, CNT, MDX, BPF, DB, PDF, ZIP and RPT files.
If you want to convert DBT file to SQL, PDF, DB, SQLITE, SQLITE3, MDB, ACCDB, DBF, ODB, FDB, GDB or MYD, you can use dBASE or similar software from the "Legacy Database Memo Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert NDF, SQLITE3, BAK, RDB, SQL, DB4, MDF, MDB, LDF, DB, DB3 or SQLITE files to DBT, try dBASE or another comparable tool in the "Legacy Database Memo Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our DBT converter.