What is the SDB file format?
The .sdb file format is used by the OpenOffice Base database manager as its original proprietary database container. .sdb files store complete database data comprising forms, tables, reports, and queries.
.sdb was the default file format of older StarOffice and early OpenOffice Base releases, originating with StarDivision's StarOffice 5.x suite in the late 1990s under Sun Microsystems. Newer versions of the suite replaced the legacy .sdb with the .ODB format (OpenDocument Database), which became the standard around 2005. .sdb files internally follow the OLE2 Compound Document structure - the same binary container used across older Microsoft Office files - so they can be inspected with OLE-aware tools.
.sdb files are compatible with various database tools via standard ODBC and JDBC drivers, allowing legacy databases to be queried even without OpenOffice Base. LibreOffice Base can open many .sdb files in read or import mode, though full editing support for the older format is limited.
Note: the .sdb extension is also used by the Windows Application Compatibility Shim Database - an entirely unrelated binary format managed by the Windows operating system. These two formats share only the extension name and must not be confused.
Security & safety
RISK: MEDIUMA StarOffice/OpenOffice Base .sdb is just data - low risk, though Base databases can contain macros, so disable macros for files from unknown sources. The real safety note is the namespace clash: a Windows Shim Database (.sdb) installed via sdbinst.exe is a documented malware-persistence technique (e.g. FIN7). If a .sdb appears in C:\\Windows\\AppPatch or is being installed silently, treat it as a system/security artifact, not a document.
Format details
in a nutshell- Windows Application Compatibility (Shim) Database - Binary shim database installed with sdbinst.exe; the most common .sdb today and a known malware-persistence vector. Found in %SystemRoot%\AppPatch\.
- SQLite / generic application database - Many apps name a SQLite or proprietary database '.sdb' (e.g. some GPS, CAD and game files); contents vary entirely by application.
- TheBat! / SIM card backup databases - Assorted niche tools store contact or message databases as .sdb.
Programs that open SDB files
Windows2 apps
Apache OpenOffice Base
Open-source Open the .sdb in Base; then File -> Save As an .odb to modernise it, or export tables to CSV.
LibreOffice Base
Open-source Open/import the legacy .sdb, then save as .odb; LibreOffice is the more actively developed successor. 
macOS1 app
LibreOffice Base
Open-source Open the .sdb and save as .odb (Apache OpenOffice also runs on macOS but is less maintained). 
Linux1 app
LibreOffice Base
Open-source Bundled with most distros; open the .sdb and export/convert to .odb or CSV. Technical details
deep spec| Format type | Proprietary binary database container |
| Underlying container | OLE2 Compound Document structure (magic bytes D0 CF 11 E0 at offset 0) |
| Developer | Sun Microsystems / StarDivision (StarOffice); later maintained by Apache OpenOffice |
| MIME type | application/vnd.sun.xml.base |
| Compression | No built-in compression; contrast with the successor .odb, which is a ZIP-based archive |
| Successor format | .odb (OpenDocument Database), adopted ~2005 |
| Stored objects | Tables, queries, forms, and reports within a single file |
| External connectivity | Accessible via ODBC and JDBC drivers for third-party database tools |
| Active software support | LibreOffice Base (import mode), Apache OpenOffice Base |
| Related StarOffice formats | .sdw (Writer), .sdc (Calc), .sds (Draw), .sxd (Impress) |
| Extension name conflict | Also used by Windows Application Compatibility Shim Database - an unrelated binary format |
| Platform availability | Windows, macOS, and Linux via LibreOffice Base; Windows via Apache OpenOffice Base |
| Released | Late 1990s (StarOffice 5.x Base); superseded by ODB (OpenDocument Database) ~2005 |
| Specification | wiki.openoffice.org |
SDB conversions
Community Q&A
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