Netscape news file
File type: Various data file
A .dbnw file is a Netscape news file used by Netscape Navigator to store data for its newsreader.
It is an internal data file rather than a document intended for direct viewing.
File type category:
Various data file
Date updated: September 28, 2026
The .dbnw file extension is associated with Netscape Navigator, the web browser and internet suite developed by Netscape Communications. The files store news data used by Navigator's newsreader.
These files belong to the local data used by the Windows version of Netscape Navigator and are normally handled by the application as part of a user profile or news account. They are not intended to be edited manually.
Netscape Navigator and its newsreader are obsolete, so the DBNW format is no longer in common use.
Open a .dbnw file with the Microsoft Windows version of Netscape Navigator. The file is normally opened from within the corresponding Navigator profile or newsreader rather than through a file manager.
Modern software generally does not support this obsolete Netscape news format.
If the file can still be read by Netscape Navigator, use the newsreader's available save or export functions to preserve individual news articles in a more portable form.
Software applications that handle other tasks involving dbnw files:
Microsoft Windows
Netscape Navigator
Language