What is the PSC file format?
A .psc file is a compressed database backup produced by Navicat, the GUI database management tool developed by PremiumSoft CyberTech Ltd. The format was the default output of Navicat's built-in Backup feature from its mid-2000s introduction through Navicat 12, storing a full snapshot of one MySQL database: object definitions (tables, views, stored procedures) and all table data, wrapped in a ZIP-compressed container.
Despite sharing the PK magic bytes of a ZIP archive, a .psc file is not a generic archive. Its internal payload is a proprietary Navicat backup structure, not a portable .sql dump. Renaming the file to .zip may expose internal parts, but those parts cannot be used directly; the file must be opened and restored through Navicat itself, which re-expands it into SQL and re-imports the data.
Navicat validates a backup header on restore. A "Navicat header error" typically signals a corrupt or incompatible .psc. Backups are unencrypted by default, and file size scales with the source database, ranging from a few kilobytes to many gigabytes.
Starting with Navicat 12, the newer .nb3 format replaced .psc as the default backup format. Legacy .psc files can still be restored in current Navicat versions, but new backups are written as .nb3. The format runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux wherever Navicat is installed; no third-party tool can restore a .psc file.
Security & safety
RISK: MEDIUMA .psc is inert data (a compressed backup), not executable - but it carries database privacy risk: it contains the full contents of a backed-up database in unencrypted form, so a leaked .psc is a data breach exposing whatever was stored (user records, credentials, PII). Restore operations also overwrite data, so always restore into a fresh/empty database first and keep the original backup untouched. Only restore .psc files from sources you trust, and store them like the sensitive database dump they are.
Format details
in a nutshell- Pascal Script - A plain-text scripting source used by Inno Setup and RemObjects/Delphi tooling; unrelated to Navicat.
- Photoshop Custom Shapes - A binary library of custom vector shapes for Adobe Photoshop, loaded via the Shapes panel.
- PowerShell Console File - A small XML file listing snap-ins for a Windows PowerShell console session (Export-Console).
Programs that open PSC files
Windows3 apps
Navicat Premium
Paid The only proper opener: in Navicat open the connection, double-click the backup (or use Backup > Restore Backup), pick the .psc, and restore it into a database. Navicat expands it to SQL automatically. 
Navicat for MySQL
Paid The single-engine edition - same Restore Backup workflow for .psc files of MySQL/MariaDB databases. 
Navicat Premium Lite
Free Free Navicat edition (introduced 2024) - includes backup/restore, so it can restore a .psc without a paid license. Best free route. 
macOS2 apps
Navicat Premium / Navicat for MySQL
Paid Same Restore Backup workflow on macOS - select the .psc and restore it into the target database.
Navicat Premium Lite
Free Free macOS edition with backup/restore - restore the .psc without a paid license. 
Linux2 apps
Navicat Premium / Navicat for MySQL
Paid Navicat's Linux build restores .psc the same way - Restore Backup, pick the file, choose the target database. Technical details
deep spec| Developer | PremiumSoft CyberTech Ltd. (Navicat) |
| Magic bytes | 50 4B 03 04 - ZIP local file header signature (PK) at offset 0 |
| Container format | ZIP-compressed archive enclosing a proprietary Navicat backup payload |
| Compression algorithm | DEFLATE via ZIP (same algorithm used in standard .zip files) |
| Encryption | None - PSC backups are stored unencrypted by default |
| Backup scope | Full database backup: DDL object definitions (tables, views, stored procedures) plus all table row data |
| Restore requirement | Navicat only - no third-party tool can open or restore a .psc file |
| Integrity validation | Navicat validates a proprietary header on restore; corruption or version mismatch triggers a 'Navicat header error' |
| MIME type | application/octet-stream |
| Platform support | Windows, macOS, Linux (wherever Navicat is installed) |
| Typical file size | KB to many GB - scales directly with the size of the backed-up database |
| Superseded by | .nb3 (Navicat's newer backup format, default since Navicat 12) |
| Primary database engine | MySQL; also produced for other engines Navicat supports (MariaDB, etc.) |
| Not interchangeable with | Generic ZIP archives or plain .sql dumps - manual extraction yields no usable output |
| Released | Mid-2000s with Navicat's Backup feature (default backup format through Navicat 11/12) |
| Latest version | Legacy default in Navicat 12 and below; Navicat 12+ introduced the .nb3 backup format as the new default |
| Specification | www.navicat.com |
PSC conversions
Community Q&A
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