What is an NWDB file?

The NWDB file format is known as the Neat Database File and is associated with Neat 5 which is a digital document management application designed to organize scanned documents, receipts, and contacts. An NWDB file is created when user scans documents using Neat software. It contains images of these scanned documents along with metadata which helps in organizing and retrieving the files.

Even though it uses the .nwdb extension, an NWDB file is fundamentally a SQL Server Compact Edition (SQLCE) database. It means that any application capable of opening .sdf files can also access .nwdb files.

The default name for NWDB file is ImageDB1.nwdb. If multiple NWDB files are created they are sequentially named (e.g., ImageDB2.nwdb, ImageDB3.nwdb, etc.).

NWDB files are generally found in the Neat Data folder that is located within the user’s Documents folder. This folder normally contains at least three important files:

  • The Neatworks NWDB file which is the main database file
  • The Image NWDB file which contains actual scanned images
  • And the Cabinet NWCAB file which is used for managing the database structure.

If you come across an error when trying to open an NWDB file, it may point out that a file in your database is missing or corrupted or that the database is locked by another program. To avoid these issues, make sure all necessary files are present in the Neat Data folder.

How to open NWDB file?

To open an .nwdb file created by Neat 5, you need to use the Neat software directly. Here’s how you can do that:

  1. Install Neat software

Make sure that you have Neat 5 installed on your computer. If you don’t have it, you can download it from the Neat website.

  1. Locate Neat Data folder

The .nwdb files are generally stored in Neat Data folder situated within your Documents folder. The path may resemble something like this:

C:\Users\<YourUsername>\Documents\Neat Data

  1. Launch Neat 5

Open the Neat 5 application on your computer.

  1. Import NWDB file

If the application doesn’t automatically identify and open .nwdb file

  • Look for option to import files. This might be under File menu or an import button.
  • Navigate to the Neat Data folder and choose .nwdb file you want to open.
  1. Check for Associated Files

Make sure that all associated files are present in Neat Data folder. An NWDB file often depends on other files (like image files and cabinet files) to work properly. If any of these are missing, it might cause errors when trying to open the database.

  1. Open the Application

Once you import the file, you should be able to access and manage your scanned documents and metadata within the Neat interface.