.AB File Extension

Android Debug Bridge Backup

Developer Google
Popularity
3.4  |  53 Votes
 

What is an AB file?

An AB file is a backup of some or all of the data stored on a user's Android device. Users create AB files using Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a command-line tool included in Google Android Studio. AB files are often encrypted using a user-created password.

More Information

Android Debug Bridge is a command-line tool that allows Android developers to communicate with Android devices from a PC. To use a device with ADB, developers must first enable USB debugging within the device's Developer options. (To access Developer options, select Settings → About phone and tap the phone's build number seven times. Developer options will then appear on the device's Settings screen.) Then, the developer must connect the device to a PC that has Android Studio installed, using either WiFi or a USB cable.

When working with devices running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher, developers can use ADB to create a snapshot of the device's current state. These snapshots are saved as AB files.

How do I use Android Debug Studio to back up my Android device?

To use ADB to back up your Android device:

  1. Make sure USB debugging is enabled on your Android device.
  2. Connect your device to your PC.
  3. Open a terminal window and navigate to the directory in which ADB is located (usually android_sdk/​platform-tools).
  4. Execute the command adb backup -all.

This will create an AB file that contains your device data and app data. If you want to create an AB file that also includes backups of the .APK files stored on your device, execute the following command instead:

adb backup -apk -all

After you execute this command, ADB will ask whether you want to encrypt your backup using a password. Enter a password if you so desire. Then, select Back up my data. After you do, ADB will create a backup.ab file in your current directory.

Common AB Filenames

backup.ab - An Android device backup created by Android Debug Bridge.

How to open an AB file

You can use Android Debug Bridge (cross-platform) to restore an AB file to an Android device. To do so:

  1. Make sure USB debugging is enabled on your Android device.
  2. Make sure the backup.ab file you intend to use to restore your device is located in the same directory as ADB (usually android_sdk/​platform-tools).
  3. Connect your device to your PC.
  4. Open a terminal window and navigate to the directory in which ADB is located .
  5. Execute the command adb restore backup.ab.

You can also use some third-party Android device managers and backup tools to restore the backup an AB file contains. For example, Droid Explorer (Windows) allows users to restore backups saved as AB files.

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Programs that open AB files

DNA Sequence File

Developer N/A
Popularity
3.7  |  3 Votes
 

Scientific data format used to store DNA sequence information; can be viewed graphically with a chromatogram viewer, which allows for rapid detection of mutations in DNA sequences and other DNA analyses.

More Information

Most DNA sequence files use the .ABI extension.

Programs that open AB files

Windows

Ambling BookPlayer MP3 File

Developer Ambling Books
Popularity
3.3  |  4 Votes
 

Audio file used by Ambling BookPlayer, an audio player for Android-based mobile phones; adds the ".ab" extension to a normal .MP3 file (or other audio file) and makes the compound extension ".ab.mp3;" used so that downloaded Ambling BookPlayer files aren't mixed with other audio files played by other music players.

More Information

Ambling BookPlayer has a preference named "Add .ab Extension" that controls whether or not the ".ab" extension is added to audio files. You can uncheck this option to disable file extension renaming.

NOTE: Ambling BookPlayer has been discontinued.

Programs that open AB files

Android
Ambling BookPlayer

Applix Builder File

Developer N/A
Popularity
3.3  |  3 Votes
 

Project file created with Applix Builder, the the graphical programming module of Applixware Linux development software.

Programs that open AB files

Linux
Applix Builder

Ford Vehicle As Built File

Developer Ford Motor Company
Popularity
2.3  |  3 Votes
 

An AB file may also be an "as built" data file used by a Ford Motor Company automobile. It contains a copy of the stock data used in the vehicle's computer systems. AB files can be downloaded from MotorCraftService.com/AsBuilt.

More Information

Primarily, Ford vehicle owners use AB files to reset one or more components of their vehicles' computer systems to their default settings. They do this using programs like FORScan, which allow users to connect their PC to their vehicle and overwrite existing vehicle computer system component data.

Each AB file is specific to a specific vehicle, as noted by the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) the file contains. The AB file's data is split using data labels, which correspond to a block of data that the vehicle's computer system uses. You can view these blocks of data and compare them to your vehicle's current configuration in FORScan.

How to open an AB file

You can open an AB file in As-Built Explorer (Windows) or any text editor to view the data it contains. If you want to use an AB file to overwrite your vehicle's current computer system configuration, you can load the file in FORScan (Windows). Note that you must reconfigure each computer system module individually, so you will have to load your AB file many times.

To use an AB file to reset one of your vehicle's computer system modules, navigate to the program's AsBuilt programming section, select the module you want to reset, and then select the Load all button. The related data from your AB file will then appear in FORScan. To push the data to your vehicle, select Write all.

Programs that open AB files

Windows
Mac
Included with OS
Linux
Free

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