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Supported Formats
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Word Processing
Microsoft Word 97-2003 Document - legacy binary format used by older Word versions. Supports rich text formatting, images, tables, and complex layouts. Maximum compatibility with legacy systems and older Microsoft Office versions (Office 97-2007). File sizes typically larger than modern DOCX. Common in corporate archives, legacy document management systems, and environments requiring backwards compatibility. Still widely supported but superseded by DOCX for new documents.
Microsoft Word 2007+ Document - modern XML-based format providing better compression (40-75% smaller than DOC), improved recovery from corruption, and enhanced features. Open XML standard with better data extraction capabilities. Supports all Word features including styles, themes, SmartArt, advanced formatting, and embedded objects. Industry standard for word processing. Native format for Microsoft Word 2007+, compatible with Google Docs, LibreOffice, and all modern office suites. Essential for professional documents, collaborative editing, and modern workflows.
OpenDocument Text - open standard format for word processors developed by OASIS consortium. Native format for LibreOffice Writer and Apache OpenOffice Writer. XML-based structure ensuring long-term accessibility and vendor independence. Supports advanced formatting, styles, images, tables, and all standard word processing features. Excellent for open-source environments, government documents (mandated in many countries), and avoiding vendor lock-in. Free from licensing restrictions and patent concerns.
Rich Text Format - universal document format developed by Microsoft (1987) for cross-platform text exchange. Readable by virtually all word processors (Word, WordPad, LibreOffice, Google Docs, Pages). Supports basic formatting (fonts, colors, styles, tables) without complex features. Larger file sizes than modern formats but maximum compatibility. Perfect for sharing formatted documents across different systems, email attachments ensuring readability, and legacy system compatibility. Reliable intermediate format for document conversion.
Word Macro-Enabled Document - DOCX format with embedded VBA macros. Supports automation, custom functions, and advanced document processing. Security risk if macros from untrusted sources. Used in business environments for automated document workflows. Same features as DOCX plus programmability. Perfect for automated reports, form processing, and document generation. Requires macro security settings in Word. Convert to DOCX to remove macros for safer sharing.
Word 97-2003 Template - legacy template format for Microsoft Word. Contains styles, formatting, and placeholder content for document creation. Binary format compatible with old Word versions. Larger file sizes than DOTX. Common in corporate environments with standardized documents. Perfect for letterheads, forms, and recurring document types. Being replaced by DOTX. Convert to DOTX for modern Word compatibility and smaller file sizes.
Word Template - modern XML-based template format for Microsoft Word 2007+. Contains styles, themes, formatting, and boilerplate content. Smaller file sizes than DOT. Used for standardized documents, letterheads, forms, and corporate templates. Opens as new document preserving template. Perfect for consistent branding and document standardization. Industry standard for Word templates. Compatible with modern Office versions and alternatives.
Word Macro-Enabled Template - DOTX template with embedded VBA macros. Combines template functionality with automation. Used for automated document generation and complex form processing. Security considerations for macro-enabled templates. Perfect for business workflows requiring automated document creation. Common in enterprise environments. Requires macro-enabled Word. Remove macros and convert to DOTX for safer distribution.
AbiWord Document - native format for AbiWord word processor (open-source alternative to Microsoft Word). XML-based lightweight format supporting basic word processing features including formatting, tables, images, and styles. Smaller file sizes than DOC/DOCX. Compatible with AbiWord on Windows, Linux, and Mac. Good RTF compatibility for cross-application usage. Perfect for lightweight word processing in open-source environments. Limited support outside AbiWord. Convert to DOCX or PDF for wider compatibility.
Applix Word Document - legacy format from Applix Words word processor (1990s Unix/Linux). Proprietary format with limited modern support. Historical format from early Unix office suites. Rarely encountered except in legacy system migrations. Convert to modern formats (ODT, DOCX, PDF) for accessibility. Important for recovering documents from old Applix installations. Better alternatives available for all use cases.
DocBook XML - semantic markup format for technical documentation. XML-based structure focusing on content over presentation. Widely used in software documentation, technical manuals, and publishing. Separates content from formatting enabling multiple output formats (PDF, HTML, EPUB). Perfect for complex technical documentation requiring version control and multiple output formats. Standard in open-source documentation. Requires XSLT processing for readable output.
KWord Document - native format for KWord word processor (part of KOffice/Calligra Suite). XML-based format for KDE office applications. Supports frames-based layout for flexible document design. Less common than mainstream formats. Linux-centric format with limited Windows/Mac support. Convert to ODT or DOCX for wider compatibility. Historical format from KDE office suite evolution. Better alternatives available for modern use.
OpenOffice.org 1.0 Writer - legacy OpenDocument format predecessor. XML-based format from OpenOffice.org 1.x era (2002-2005). Replaced by ODT in OpenOffice 2.0. Supported by older OpenOffice and LibreOffice versions. Convert to ODT for modern compatibility. Historical format important for accessing old OpenOffice documents. Modern LibreOffice can open but saving in ODT recommended.
Plain Text - simplest document format containing only unformatted ASCII or Unicode characters. No fonts, colors, images, or layout information. Universal compatibility across all platforms, text editors, and systems. Smallest possible file sizes. Perfect for notes, code, scripts, logs, and any situation requiring absolute simplicity and portability. Essential format for programming, configuration files, data exchange, and scenarios where formatting is unnecessary. Works on any device from mainframes to smartphones.
{group_spreadsheet}
Microsoft Excel 97-2003 Workbook - legacy binary spreadsheet format supporting up to 65,536 rows and 256 columns per sheet. Contains formulas, formatting, charts, and multiple worksheets. Compatible with older Excel versions (Excel 97-2007). File size limited to ~30MB. Common in legacy business systems, old financial databases, and environments requiring Excel 97-2003 compatibility. Being replaced by XLSX but still encountered in corporate archives and legacy data systems.
Microsoft Excel 2007+ Workbook - modern XML-based spreadsheet format with 1,048,576 rows and 16,384 columns per sheet. Provides better compression (75% smaller than XLS), improved recovery from corruption, and enhanced features. Supports all Excel capabilities including formulas, pivot tables, charts, conditional formatting, and macros (in XLSM variant). Industry standard for spreadsheets. Compatible with Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc, and all modern office suites. Essential for data analysis, financial modeling, and business intelligence.
OpenDocument Spreadsheet - open standard format for spreadsheet applications developed by OASIS. Native format for LibreOffice Calc and Apache OpenOffice Calc. XML-based structure ensuring data accessibility and vendor independence. Supports formulas, charts, multiple sheets, and standard spreadsheet features. Excellent for open-source workflows, government use (mandated by many countries), and avoiding Microsoft Office licensing. Free from proprietary restrictions with long-term document accessibility guarantees.
Comma-Separated Values - simple text format for tabular data where each line represents a row and commas separate columns. Universal data exchange format readable by all spreadsheet applications, databases, and programming languages. No formatting, formulas, or multiple sheets - pure data only. Smallest file sizes for tabular data. Perfect for data import/export, database operations, data analysis with Python/R, and sharing datasets. Essential format for data science, web applications, and system integration. Works with Excel, databases, and any data processing tool.
{group_presentation}
Microsoft PowerPoint 97-2003 Presentation - legacy binary format for slide presentations. Supports slides, animations, transitions, embedded media, and speaker notes. Compatible with older PowerPoint versions (PowerPoint 97-2007). File sizes larger than modern PPTX. Common in legacy presentation archives, older corporate training materials, and environments requiring backwards compatibility. Still playable but superseded by PPTX for new presentations. Found in archived presentations from pre-2007 era.
Microsoft PowerPoint 2007+ Presentation - modern XML-based format providing better compression (up to 75% smaller than PPT), improved recovery, and enhanced multimedia support. Supports all PowerPoint features including advanced animations, transitions, embedded videos, SmartArt, themes, and master slides. Industry standard for presentations. Native format for PowerPoint 2007+, compatible with Google Slides, LibreOffice Impress, and Keynote. Essential for business presentations, educational slideshows, and professional communication.
OpenDocument Presentation - open standard format for presentation software developed by OASIS consortium. Native format for LibreOffice Impress and Apache OpenOffice Impress. XML-based structure ensuring long-term accessibility. Supports slides, animations, transitions, multimedia, and standard presentation features. Excellent for open-source environments, government presentations, and avoiding vendor lock-in. Free from licensing restrictions. Compatible with PowerPoint through conversion but best used within open-source office suites.
Other Formats
Portable Document Format - universal document format developed by Adobe maintaining exact visual appearance across all platforms and devices. Preserves fonts, images, layouts, and formatting precisely. Industry standard for document distribution, official documents, forms, archival, and printing. Not designed for editing (though modern tools allow limited editing). Supports encryption, digital signatures, forms, annotations, and accessibility features. Essential for contracts, invoices, reports, e-books, and any document requiring consistent appearance. Most widely supported document format globally.
DjVu Document - specialized format for scanned documents, books, and manuscripts. Superior compression for bitonal and color scanned images. Smaller than PDF for scanned content (3-10x). Supports OCR text layer, annotations, and bookmarks. Perfect for digital libraries, scientific papers, historical documents, and scanned books. Specialized viewers required (DjVuLibre, browser plugins). Excellent for archiving paper documents digitally. Convert to PDF for broader accessibility.
XML Paper Specification - Microsoft's document format similar to PDF. Fixed-layout format preserving exact document appearance. Native support in Windows Vista+. Supports vector graphics, fonts embedding, and digital signatures. Alternative to PDF in Windows environments. Limited support outside Windows ecosystem. Perfect for Windows-only document distribution. Convert to PDF for universal compatibility across all platforms.
Open XML Paper Specification - standardized version of XPS as ECMA standard. Same features as XPS with formal specification. Better cross-platform support than original XPS. Fixed-layout document format with vector graphics support. Used in some Windows applications and printers. Limited adoption compared to PDF. Convert to PDF for maximum compatibility. Mainly relevant in Windows printing workflows.
Markdown - lightweight markup language using plain text formatting syntax for creating formatted documents. Simple symbols (* for italics, ** for bold, # for headings) convert to HTML. Human-readable in plain text. Perfect for README files, documentation, blogs, note-taking, and technical writing. Popular among developers, technical writers, and content creators. Supports headers, lists, links, images, code blocks, and basic formatting. Extremely portable and future-proof. Foundation of many static site generators and documentation systems.
HyperText Markup Language - standard markup language for web pages containing text, images, links, and multimedia. Readable in any web browser without special software. Supports styling (CSS), interactivity (JavaScript), and rich media embedding. Universal web standard since 1991. Perfect for web publishing, online documentation, email newsletters, and accessible content. Extremely portable with guaranteed long-term support. Can be converted from documents for web distribution or archived for offline viewing.
Electronic Publication - open standard e-book format based on HTML, CSS, and XML. Reflowable text adapts to any screen size. Supports fonts, images, metadata, table of contents, and CSS styling. Industry standard for e-books compatible with most e-readers (Kindle via conversion, Kobo, Nook, Apple Books, Google Play Books). Perfect for digital publishing, self-publishing, and distributing long-form content. EPUB 3 adds multimedia and interactivity. Essential format for authors, publishers, and digital libraries.
How to Convert Files
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a DBK file and why does it exist in multiple, unrelated formats?
A DBK file can refer to two very different file types depending on context: (1) a Sony Ericsson mobile backup file used by old PC Suite software, or (2) a DocBook XML document, which is a structured markup format used for technical documentation. Because both share the same extension, DBK files are frequently misidentified until inspected.
In the mobile-backup case, a DBK file is essentially a ZIP archive containing contacts, SMS messages, multimedia, calendars, and phone settings. In the DocBook case, a DBK file contains structured XML meant for publishing books, manuals, articles, or API documentation. Each type requires completely different tools to open or convert.
Understanding which DBK variant you're dealing with is the key to successful conversion: mobile DBK files must be extracted as ZIP archives, while DocBook DBK files must be opened using XML editors or documentation processors.
Why do Sony Ericsson DBK backup files look like corrupted archives?
Sony Ericsson PC Suite created DBK backups by renaming ZIP files with a proprietary extension. Many modern archive tools do not automatically recognize DBK as ZIP unless manually renamed.
Renaming the file from *.dbk* to *.zip* reveals the internal structure—folders containing contacts (VCF), multimedia, settings, and proprietary metadata.
Because the backup format was never updated after Sony Ericsson discontinued those phones, compatibility relies entirely on manual extraction rather than official software.
Why do DocBook DBK files use XML instead of standard document layouts?
DocBook DBK files are based on structured semantic XML. Unlike typical word-processing formats, DocBook separates content from appearance, making it ideal for publishing the same material to PDF, HTML, EPUB, and other platforms automatically.
The DBK structure enforces organized chapters, sections, code blocks, indexes, and citations—features essential for professional technical documentation.
Because styling is applied during conversion, authors can focus entirely on structure and correctness rather than layout.
Why do DBK files often need to be converted before use?
Sony Ericsson DBK backups must be extracted to access phone data, since modern phones and software no longer support the proprietary format.
DocBook DBK files usually require processing with publishing tools such as xsltproc, Pandoc, or Calibre to generate readable document formats like PDF, EPUB, or HTML.
Few applications can open DBK directly, so conversion is often the first step.
Why do DBK files from old phones contain so many different file types?
The backup process saved contacts as VCF, calendar entries as ICS, and media as JPEG, MP3, or 3GP, all packed together inside the DBK archive.
This made DBK a convenient 'container format' for restoring a phone’s entire data set in one operation.
Today, these extracted files remain easily readable even though the original backup software is discontinued.
Why do DocBook DBK files convert more reliably than similar XML formats?
DocBook is a long-standing, standardized publishing framework widely used in open-source documentation, with extensive tooling support.
Its strict structural rules prevent malformed documents and simplify automatic formatting into multiple output formats.
This consistency makes DBK far more predictable during conversion than loosely structured XML formats.
Why can DBK backups sometimes fail to extract?
Some older DBK files contain corrupted ZIP headers due to incomplete backups or abrupt phone disconnections.
Large multimedia files inside the archive may cause extraction tools to misinterpret compression parameters.
Using more tolerant extraction tools (7-Zip, WinRAR) often restores access even when default Windows ZIP fails.
Why do DocBook DBK files require special editors to modify?
DBK files are structured markup documents, and editing them requires familiarity with XML tags, schema validation, and hierarchical document structure.
Standard word processors can’t interpret DocBook XML, so tools like XML editors, IDEs, or specialized DocBook authoring programs are used instead.
This ensures documents remain structurally valid and compatible with automated publishing systems.
Why do DBK phone backups not restore on modern devices?
The format was tightly tied to outdated Sony Ericsson firmware and PC Suite software, both discontinued and incompatible with Android or iOS.
Modern devices use entirely different backup ecosystems, such as Google Drive, iCloud, or proprietary OEM cloud solutions.
Extracting the DBK and manually transferring VCF contacts or media is the only viable migration method.
Why are DocBook DBK files preferred for technical documentation?
DocBook supports advanced components such as code listings, API references, indexes, glossaries, and versioning—features essential for engineering documentation.
Writers can generate consistent multi-format outputs (PDF, EPUB, HTML, man pages) using the same DBK source.
Its separation of content and presentation ensures long-term maintainability.
Why do some DBK conversions lose formatting or structure?
Phone backups may contain incomplete or malformed files due to dying hardware or partial data extraction.
DocBook DBK files may reference stylesheets or external assets not included in the document bundle.
Resolving missing references or validating the XML schema usually fixes conversion issues.
Why is DBK sometimes detected as a compressed archive?
Sony Ericsson DBK files are literally ZIP archives with a renamed extension, so archive tools often auto-identify them.
This makes data recovery possible even without the original PC Suite software.
Renaming the file to .zip is the quickest way to inspect its contents.
Why can DocBook DBK files be converted to EPUB or PDF so easily?
DocBook includes official XSLT transforms that map XML structures directly to print-ready formats.
Tools like Calibre and Pandoc include built-in DocBook importers that translate content and hierarchy into modern eBook formats.
This makes DBK one of the most flexible legacy formats for documentation publishing.
Why is metadata handling different between phone DBK and DocBook DBK files?
Phone DBK metadata includes device model, firmware version, contact groups, and message timestamps.
DocBook DBK metadata contains author info, revision history, document structure notes, and publishing parameters.
Each DBK variant stores metadata for completely different purposes.
Should you keep DBK files or convert them?
Keep DBK files only as archival copies—especially phone backups—since they cannot be restored to modern devices directly.
Convert DocBook DBK files to ODT, DOCX, EPUB, or PDF for modern readability and editing convenience.
For phone DBK files, extract the contents and migrate contacts, images, and messages manually to ensure long-term accessibility.