How to open a .vb file
Quick, free ways to open VB.NET on any system.
A .vb file is a Visual Basic .NET Source File. If double-clicking does nothing, your computer simply does not have an app that reads VB.NET yet. Here is how to fix that on each operating system, using free software wherever possible.
Open a .vb file step by step
- Confirm the file really is a .vb. Drop it into the WhatFileType file identifier, which reads its signature without uploading anything.
- On Windows, open it with Visual Studio or VS Code.
- On Mac, use VS Code or any text editor.
- On Linux, try VS Code or any text editor.
- Still stuck? Convert the .vb to exe (compiled), which opens more widely.
Best apps to open .vb files
Windows
- Visual Studio
- VS Code
- any text editor
macOS
- VS Code
- any text editor
Linux
- VS Code
- any text editor
!
Before you open it: Caution. A .vb file is program source. Compiling and running it executes its code; review unfamiliar files first.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I open my .vb file?
Almost always because no installed app understands VB.NET. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads.
How do I open a .vb file?
Any text editor shows the source. To build and run it you need the .NET SDK, and Visual Studio on Windows is the usual environment.
Is VB.NET the same as Visual Basic 6?
No. VB.NET (in .vb files) is a .NET language introduced in 2002. VB6 is the older, unrelated runtime whose source lived in .bas, .frm and .cls files.