What Is an MDT File?

This article explains what an MDT file is, depending on the format yours is in, and how to open one on your computer or convert one to a different format (if applicable).

What Is an MDT File?

A file with the .MDT file extension is a data file used by Microsoft Access and its add-ins for storing relevant data.

Although Access uses both file types, an MDT file shouldn't be confused with an MDB file, which Access uses to store database information. That is, unless your particular MDT file happens to be an old Microsoft Access 97 template file.

An MDT file may instead be a GeoMedia Access database template, which is a format used by the GeoMedia geospatial processing software to create an MDB file out of its data.

Some video editing software may use the MDT file extension, too, to store text in the XML format about the video creation process. This may or may not be related to the MDT video format used by some Panasonic cameras.

How to Open an MDT File

Microsoft Access opens data files that are relevant in that context. Although related to Access databases, if your file is associated with GeoMedia, open it with Hexagon's GeoMedia Smart Client.

A simple text editor should be able to open MDT files that are produced from video converters or video editors. You probably only need to open this kind if you're not sure where the program is storing the video file, since the location of the video is stored in the MDT file. See our Best Free Text Editors list for some good options.

A text editor might be useful even if your file isn't saved in any of these formats. Just open the file there and see if there's any header information or readable text anywhere throughout the file that indicates what program was used to create it. This can help you research software that supports opening that specific file.

How to Convert an MDT File

An MDT file probably can't be converted into another format that Access recognizes. This type of data file is likely just used by the program when it's needed, and not intended to be opened at will, like with ACCDB and other Access files.

It's likely that GeoMedia can export its data into other formats in addition to MDT, in which case you can use the same program to open the file and save it to a different format.

There's likely no reason to convert an XML-based MDT file, but you certainly can if you want to. Just open it with a text editor and then save it to a compatible format like TXT or HTML.

Still Can't Open It?

Before assuming that the programs from above aren't working correctly, consider whether you're reading the file extension correctly. It can be easy to confuse one file format with another if they use similar file extensions.

For example, MTD looks a lot like MDT but is actually used for Musicnotes digital sheet music files, a format that doesn't work with any of the file openers above.

The same could be said for MDF, MDL, and DMT files, all of which are used for unique file formats that open with specific, and different, software programs.