What is the PTB file format?
A .ptb file is a backup archive created by Sage 50 Accounting (formerly Peachtree Accounting). The file is a standard ZIP archive internally - renaming .ptb to .zip and opening it with 7-Zip or Windows Explorer reveals the company data files inside.
The archive typically holds 72-230 compressed entries: transaction history, chart of accounts, customer and vendor records, payroll data, and configuration files. Two key internal files - Details.ini and version.txt - record the Sage 50 version that created the backup. This matters because backups must be restored into the same or a newer version of Sage 50; older versions cannot open newer backups.
Backups are created via File → Back Up inside Sage 50. The .ptb container uses DEFLATE compression (standard ZIP) but adds no extra encryption - security relies entirely on file-system permissions. The format has been in use since the mid-1990s Peachtree Accounting for Windows era and continues in Sage 50 2025.
The file is not intended to be opened directly; its sole purpose is restoration through Sage 50's built-in restore wizard. Sage 50 is a Windows-only product, so .ptb files are exclusively a Windows format.
- Rename
.ptbto.zipto inspect contents with7-Zipwithout restoring. - Internal
Details.iniidentifies the Sage 50 version that produced the backup. - Restoration to an older Sage 50 version than the source is not supported.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWPTB is a renamed ZIP archive (Sage 50) or binary tablature (Power Tab); no known malware vectors. Accounting backups may contain sensitive financial data - treat accordingly.
Format details
in a nutshell- Power Tab Editor Guitar/Bass Tablature - Binary tablature file created by Power Tab Editor (abandoned ~2006, open-source v2 exists); supported by TuxGuitar and Guitar Pro.
- TabView Guitar Tablature - macOS tablature viewer by Simone Tellini that also reads Power Tab .ptb files.
Programs that open PTB files
Windows3 apps
Sage 50 Accounting (US)
Paid File → Open Company → Restore a backup; select the .ptb file and follow the wizard.
7-Zip (inspect only)
Open-source Rename .ptb to .zip, then right-click → Open archive to browse contents. Cannot restore accounting data.
TuxGuitar (Power Tab files only)
Open-source File → Open → select .ptb file (Power Tab tablature only, not Sage 50 backups). Technical details
deep spec| Container format | ZIP (DEFLATE compressed) |
| Magic bytes | 50 4B 03 04 ("PK") at offset 0 |
| Byte order | Little-endian |
| Compression algorithm | DEFLATE (standard ZIP) |
| Encryption | None - ZIP container is unencrypted |
| Typical file size | 1 MB - 47 MB |
| Internal entry count | 72-230 compressed files (typical company dataset) |
| Version metadata | Stored in Details.ini and version.txt inside the archive |
| Integrity check | CRC-32 per ZIP entry |
| Associated OS | Windows only |
| Creating application | Sage 50 Accounting (US edition), via File → Back Up |
| MIME type | application/octet-stream |
| Backward compatibility | Newer backups cannot be restored to older Sage 50 versions |
| Inspection method | Rename to .zip and open with 7-Zip or Windows Explorer |
| Released | mid-1990s (Peachtree Accounting for Windows era) |
| Latest version | Sage 50 2025 (US edition) uses PTB format |
PTB conversions
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about PTB files.
