GDB File

What are GDB files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a GDB 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 GDB files.

What is a GDB file?

GDB files have multiple uses, and GVA Author Lecture is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

GVA Author Lecture File

The GVA Author Lecture File is used by a Windows authoring tool called GVA2000 Author (by Youngsan / GVA) to package lectures - online educational materials combining HTML content, images, media, and possibly interactive elements - into a single compressed format. These files are created by GVA2000 Author when an instructor or content creator exports or saves a lecture, and then they are opened by the associated GVAStudent application to view or deliver the lecture to students.

Files in this format typically embed a collection of HTML pages (such as "1.HTM"), styled content (BODY BGCOLOR, HEAD, TITLE), indexed navigation ("INDEX.", "PAGE"), coordinate tags ("CODE"), and explicit text sections ("TEXT", "TITLE") all wrapped into the GDB extension. The content is intended for display rather than editing; once the lecture is built and exported, the file serves as a static package for lecture delivery.

Inside these files, the format begins with a signature of three bytes: ASCII "GDB" followed by a zero byte at offset zero. That is followed by embedded HTML text strings such as "HTML", "HEAD", "BODY BGCOLOR", "TITLE", and navigation markers like "INDEX." and "PAGE" interspersed with the content. The lecture file is in a proprietary compressed archive specific to GVA/GVA2000 Author but not publicly documented in detail.

How to open GDB files

We have identified one GDB opener that is compatible with this specific type of GDB file.

Programs that open GVA Author Lecture files

Last updated: August 6, 2026

All known file formats using extension .GDB

While GVA Author Lecture File is a popular type of GDB-file, we know of 3 different uses of the .GDB file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

Interbase Database File

Files that contain the .gdb file extension are most commonly associated with the Borland InterBase database application.

The .gbd file extension is assigned to databases that have been created with the InterBase program prior to the 7.0 version of the software. InterBase 7.0 and later save these files with the .ib file extension rather than the .gdb file extension.

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

MapSource GPS Waypoint Database File

The MapSource GPS Waypoint Database File is a proprietary binary file format used by Garmin's MapSource (version 6.0 and later) and BaseCamp to store collections of waypoints, routes, and GPS tracks for planning or transferring to compatible Garmin navigation devices. It is what you'll often see when you save or export trip-planning data in MapSource.

Inside, the file holds point-data (waypoints), ordered route instructions, and track logs recording where you have traveled. The file is typically written by MapSource and read or imported by BaseCamp, GPSBabel, and Garmin devices. Users can also convert from .GDB to exchange formats like GPX for interoperability.

The format supports several internal versions (version 1 through version 3), with version 2 being the default in recent MapSource builds. It allows storing category metadata for points, and includes both user-defined and calculated points (such as "via" route points) which some tools may drop depending on settings.

Technically, files begin with the ASCII signature MsRcf at offset 0 and contain the string "MAPSOURCE".

GDB opener for Windows

We have identified 2 GDB openers that are compatible with this specific type of GDB file.

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of GDB files. Remember, different programs may use GDB 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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