Opening a WAB File

The WAB file type is primarily associated with Microsoft Outlook.

WAB	File extension: WAB
	File type:	contact database

What is a WAB file?

WAB files mostly belong to Microsoft Outlook. WAB files are files that store Windows Address Book data. They keep contact details like names, phone numbers, and email addresses in a binary format that maintains a structured database.
This file type is used mainly with Microsoft Outlook and the built‐in Windows Contacts system. To view the file, you can import it into Outlook or use the Windows Contacts tool.
Key details sourced by FilExt.com:

Stores a list of contacts in a proprietary binary format.

Can be used to manage and migrate contact information.

Often converted to other formats such as vCard (.vcf) for compatibility.

FilExt.com note: For more information, see the Microsoft Outlook webpage.

How to open WAB files

You need a suitable software like Microsoft Outlook to open a WAB file. Without proper software you will receive a Windows message "How do you want to open this file?" or "Windows cannot open this file" or a similar Mac/iPhone/Android alert. If you cannot open your WAB file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application. You can also display a WAB file directly in the browser:. Just drag the file onto this browser window and drop it.

Online WAB Text Viewer

Choose your .wab file to analyze

or drag and drop it here

Online File Viewer

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Programs that open and convert WAB files:

Microsoft Outlook
See the previous paragraphs to learn more about the main application. WAB files are often referred to as Microsoft Outlook databases because this type of file is primarily created or used by this software.
Outlook (Address Book) by Microsoft Corporation
The identifying characters used for this association are - Hex: 9C CB CB 8D 13 75 D2 11 91 58 00 C0 4F 79 56 A4, ASCII: .....u...X..OyV.. Program ID is wab_auto_file Related links: Libwab Windows Address Book Export Utility

WAB file format details:

If you know the file format, you can also find out how to open or edit the file. A file format is determined by the file extension and signature, so JPEG images have the extension .jpg and the first bytes in the file are ÿØÿ. Nonetheless, different programs can utilize the same file extension to represent distinct file formats. Double-clicking on the file often results in an error when opening. So you need a detailed analysis of a file to find out the format and the associated program. Our evaluation of the WAB files is as follows:

The WAB file extension is not common and predominantly uses a uniform format. The two most popular formats are as follows:

90% of all WAB files are Outlook Express addressbook files. They consist of illegible, cryptic characters. The files are on average 260 KB in size and range from 170 KB to 1 MB. This is an old file type which is rarely used today. The file name Administrator.wab is typical for these files. Such WAB files store data about book, address, addresses, adressen, rubrica and phone, and usually contain person-related data.

All the rest of the WAB files (10%) have different formats. Just click the "Choose your .wab file to analyze" button on this page to find out what your WAB file is.

Technical Data for WAB File Extension

File classification:

Database

Identifier:

Hex: 9C CB CB 8D 13 75 D2 11 91 58 00 C0 4F 79 56 A4, ASCII: .....u...X..OyV. (provided by TrID database)

Program ID:

wab_auto_file

Related files:

pab, vcf, ldif, pst, mab, wab~, p7c, mapimail, exe, oab, prf, csv

The following listing is compiled from the database produced by the 'Associate This!' program, selected data from the main FILExt database and file extension information submitted by users.

ProgramID: wab_auto_file, FileType: Address Book File, AppName: Address Book
EXEFile: wab.exe

a wab contact database is a special file format and should only be edited and saved with the appropriate software.

How to solve problems with WAB files

Associate the WAB file extension with the correct application.
Update your software that should actually open contact databases. Because only the current version supports the latest WAB file format. Search, therefore, e.g. on the manufacturer website after an available Microsoft Outlook update.
To make sure that your WAB file is not corrupted or virus-infected, get the file again and scan it with Google's virustotal.com.
Click here to open your .WAB file online - secure, fast, and no downloads needed.