GDB Converter

Extract text from GDB files

Select File
Drop or upload your .GDB file

Online File Converter

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How to extract text from your GDB file

Click the "Select File" button above, and choose your GDB file.
You’ll see a preview, if available.
Click the "Convert file to..." button to extract text information.

Convert GDB to another file type

To convert your GDB file to another format, you need InterBase or other Database software.

Convert a file to GDB

To convert other file formats to the "Legacy Relational Database" file type, you need software like InterBase or a similar tool.

About GDB files

The .GDB extension is shared by two distinct but widely used formats: the InterBase Database file and the Garmin GPS Database file.

1. InterBase/Firebird Database

For database administrators and developers, a .GDB file is a legacy database created by Borland InterBase (now managed by Embarcadero) or early versions of the open-source Firebird SQL engine.

The Problem: These files are strictly proprietary binary containers. You cannot open them in a text editor or standard spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel without the specific database engine installed and running. Users often face compatibility issues when migrating legacy systems or attempting to access data archived in older server environments.

The Solution: To access the tables and records inside, the file should be converted to open standards.

For Analysis: Convert to CSV or XLSX to view data in spreadsheets.
For Migration: Convert to SQL dumps for importing into modern systems like MySQL or PostgreSQL.

2. Garmin GPS Database

For outdoor enthusiasts, the .GDB format acts as a container for waypoints, tracks, and routes created by older Garmin devices and managed via Garmin MapSource or BaseCamp software.

The Problem: This is a proprietary binary format. Modern web mapping tools, smartphone apps, and Google Earth do not natively support direct uploads of .GDB files. Sharing your hiking routes or survey data with others is difficult if they do not use Garmin software.

The Solution:

For Web & Sharing: Convert to GPX (the universal GPS exchange format) or KML (for Google Earth).
For GIS: Convert to SHP (Shapefile) or DXF for CAD applications.

Other Uses

Less frequently, .GDB may refer to an Esri File Geodatabase (typically a directory, not a single file) or a project file for Geosoft Oasis montaj.

Convert.Guru analyzes your GDB file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.

Users also converted GDBTABLE, GDBINDEXES, ZIP, GBD, GDBTABLX, GBK, GPX, SPX, GDP, ATX, DGB, ADM and PDF files.

FAQ

If you want to convert GDB file to SHP, GPX, KML, KMZ, CSV, GPKG, GEOJSON, DWG, DB, SQLITE, SQLITE3 or MDB, you can use InterBase or similar software from the "Relational & Spatial Data 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 GDB, try InterBase or another comparable tool in the "Relational & Spatial Data Storage" category.

The GDB Converter Story

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 GDB converter.