How do I open a .mdb file?

Question

How do I open a .mdb file?

Hello,

I am currently trying to figure out how to open up a .mdb file on the mac. I'm not entirely sure which program would be suitable for this. So far, I've tried the following:

1.) ACCDB MDB Explorer - I can view the text information and export to a few different sources but none of the export options are image formats.

2.) File Juicer - It doens't recognize .mdb files

3.) OsiriX - This does't open .mdb files. I've read other folks suggesting this and it's not a solution.

These programs do not have any kind of way to extract images from these files and convert them to an image format. The type of files I'm trying to extract are x-ray images we received on a disc from the clinics office.

If anyone knows the best solution to viewing these files appropiately, I would appreciate it.

Thanks.

MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2008), OS X Mavericks (10.9.2)

Posted on Mar 26, 2014 1:20 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Melophage

Level 5

7,213 points

Mar 26, 2014 5:19 PM in response to DarkXShadowX21

DarkXShadowX21,

the .mdb (“Microsoft database”) format is created by Microsoft Access. Are you trying to extract X-ray images that are held in records within an Access database? If so, then you’ll probably a need to follow a multiple step process: first, use an app to open the .mdb file that will allow you to extract an individual record — output as a text file would be fine, if the app doesn’t try to apply any modifications to the extracted data, such as standardizing line-endings. Suppose that the created text file is called “X-ray.txt”. Then, change the name of the extracted “text” file to have an ending that matches whatever graphics format the X-ray is supposed to be provided in (e.g. JPEG, PNG, TIFF, &c.); for example, renaming “X-ray.txt” to “X-ray.jpg”, if the X-ray is supposed to be in JPEG format. After that, you can try viewing the renamed file in an appropriate graphics viewing app, to see if the extraction was successful.

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Answer 2

Mar 26, 2014 8:33 PM in response to Melophage

I tried using this method and it didn't work for me. I used MDB Explorer ( 1. ) to access the files in text form. Than, I exported the images tab to a text document. Once I exported it, I changed the file name from a .txt to .png, .jpg, .tiff, .gif, .etc... It didn't work and an error saying the the file was corrupt and was not able to be read.

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Answer 3

Mar 26, 2014 8:53 PM in response to DarkXShadowX21

Sounds like you are going to have to install Windows in Boot Camp partition so that you can run Mirocsoft Access then.

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Answer 4

Melophage

Level 5

7,213 points

Mar 26, 2014 8:55 PM in response to DarkXShadowX21

DarkXShadowX21,

is there only supposed to be a single X-ray image in the .mdb file? Do you know which graphics format the X-ray image is supposed to be? Did you check to see whether a file saved in text form has modifications done automatically to it, such as line-ending standardization?

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Answer 5

Mar 26, 2014 9:25 PM in response to Allan Eckert

This isn't going to happen. That's too much work just to extract images.

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Answer 6

Mar 26, 2014 9:31 PM in response to Melophage

"is there only supposed to be a single X-ray image in the .mdb file? Do you know which graphics format the X-ray image is supposed to be? Did you check to see whether a file saved in text form has modifications done automatically to it, such as line-ending standardization?"

There are a handful of x-rays.

I don't know which graphic extension the image would be. I tried a few and those didn't work.

As far as line end standardization, you must me talking about an automatic code insertion into a file from using a program that's on a trial period.

No, I didn't check and with that kind of code, I would know what to change or modify so it would no longe be corrupt.

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Answer 7

Melophage

Level 5

7,213 points

Mar 26, 2014 9:40 PM in response to DarkXShadowX21

DarkXShadowX21,

when you export to the text file, are you exporting all of the X-ray images, or just one of them? You’d need to do them one at a time for this export-rename-view process to have a chance of working.

If you don’t know what image format the X-rays are supposed to be in, then it might be that you don’t have an appropriate viewer for that image type.

Yes, I was referring to an automatic behavior by the exporting software; if it changes the content of the image file at all, e.g. through standardizing line endings in a “text” file, that would serve to corrupt the image file.

Any of these could be possible reasons why this is not currently working.

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