BCT File

What are BCT files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a BCT file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your BCT files.

What is a BCT file?

BCT files have multiple uses, and Adobe Bridge cache is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

Adobe Bridge cache

These BCT files are the files that have been organized using Adobe Bridge, an asset management software. You use keywords, labels, and ratings to organize your adobe files. By using filters and metadata search features, you can easily find your assets.

How to open BCT files

Important: Different programs may use files with the BCT file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your BCT file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested four different BCT openers which you will find listed below.

Last updated: August 23, 2026

All known file formats using extension .BCT

While Adobe Bridge cache is a popular type of BCT-file, we know of 2 different uses of the .BCT file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

Photoshop Thumbnail Cache

Photoshop Thumbnail Cache files hold the thumbnail images generated by Adobe Photoshop's File Browser (in older versions) or by Adobe Bridge when displaying many pictures in a folder. These thumbnails speed up folder browsing by caching miniature previews, so the program does not have to regenerate image previews for every file each time the folder is viewed.

These files are automatically created by the active program (Photoshop's File Browser or Adobe Bridge) as it indexes image files. For older Photoshop versions, the cache was formed of two parts: one file with previews (.TB0), another with metadata (.MD0) about rotation, sort order, and other display properties. Modern versions using Adobe Bridge save cache using the current .BCT file format (sometimes with a companion .BC file). These cache files are read when browsing images, allowing faster display of thumbnails and saving user settings for how images are ranked or rotated in the viewer.

These files begin with the ASCII signature "lnbt" starting at the very beginning (byte signature 0x6C6E6274 at offset 0) which identifies them as belonging to this cache format.

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of BCT files. Remember, different programs may use BCT files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

Help us help others

File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about BCT file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.