DBA File

What are DBA files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a DBA 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 DBA files.

What is a DBA file?

A .DBA file is a DateBook Archive file.

This format holds archived calendar and appointment entries created by Palm's DateBook/Calendar system. Palm Desktop software creates these files when exporting or backing up datebook data. Its main uses are storage of past events or transfer of calendar entries between Palm Desktop and Palm OS handhelds.

Each file stores the full set of appointments and scheduled items from the DateBook/calendar, including recurring events, categories, alarms, private markers, and notations. Palm Desktop opens them via its Import → Date Book Archive feature in order to restore or merge calendar entries. It is part of the Palm archive suite alongside Address Book Archive, Memo Pad Archive, and To-Do Archive.

Unarchived Palm OS devices or Palm Desktop versions before Palm Desktop 6 use this file format; newer versions switched formats for DateBook/calendar synchronization and backup. For example, Palm2CSV supports DBA for Palm Desktop versions 4.x through 6.x when exporting from DateBook archives.

Files begin with a four-byte signature at offset zero: 00 01 42 44 (ASCII "..BD") serves as the file's magic bytes, to help software detect that this is a Palm DateBook Archive.

How to open DBA files

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

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

Last updated: October 22, 2026

Various apps that use files with this extension

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

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