The file extension NZB is associated with Newzbin, which is a Usenet Index that functions with a NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol) Usenet server. Usenet stands for Users Network and is one of the first networks developed in the late 1970s as a means for exchanging communications between other computers connected to the network.
Since being first introduced, Usenet grew to a wide variety of newsgroups and discussion forums and functions similar to a bulletin board. Each news group is organized in a hierarchy for a specific topic with some which are moderated. Most Usenet users use what is called a Usenet reader which assists with finding topics of interest and participating in discussions.
The file extension NZB is categorized as a web file type which is created in an XML (Extensible Markup Language) format. NZB files are used for retrieving posts and other data from an NNTP server and from sites which are capable of being searched. Each NZB file contains a header with a Usenet message identification number which is part of a larger file that has been posted to a Usenet newsgroup. Since the file is large, it must be divided into smaller parts which are identified with a message identification number.
When an NZB file is downloaded, the Usenet client reads each individual message identification number and then decodes the messages in a binary format so they can be read by the end user with a Usenet reader. This reduces bandwidth and makes downloading the messages quicker and more efficient.
How to Open NZB Files
The file extension NZB can be opened using multiple programs and applications. For this reason, double click on the file to see if it will automatically open in a default program you have installed on your PC. NZB files work with many applications because of the XML format, so you may already have a program which will open the file.
If you are using the Windows operating system, you can open NZB files with Usenet Explorer, which is a multiserver and multitasking newsreader for text and binary files. Usenet Explorer is available as a free download on the Usenet Explorer website.
You can also opt to use SuperNZB, which is a file downloader that will download and open the NZB file extension as well as automatically run RAR to extract NZB files. SuperNZB is available as a free download on the Tech Sono website and is compatible with the Windows operating system and Mac OS X.
NewsMan Pro is another Usenet news reader and binary grabber which will open NZB files. NewsMan Pro is available as a free trial download on the NewsMan Pro website and works with Windows XP and later.
For Mac OS X, you can use Super NZB as mentioned above or NZB Drop v2, which is an application that downloads NZB files without having to wade through a large amount of headers. NZB Drop v2 is available as a 30-day free trial on the Asar website.
Mac OS X users can also opt to open the file extension NZB using Unison 2.1.10, which is a Usenet browser and newsreader application. Unison is produced by Panic, Inc. and is available as a paid download in the Mac App Store.
If you are using the Linux operating system, the file extension NZB can be opened using NZBGet, which is a cross platform binary newsgrabber application that supports client/server mode. NZBGet is available as a free download on the SourceForge website and also works with the Windows operating system.
Linux users can also opt to open NZB files with nzbperl, which is a Usenet downloader and newsreader written in the Perl programming language. Nzbperl is open source and available as a free download on the NoisyBox.net website.
Hellanzb is another Usenet binary downloader written in the Python programming language which will open the file extension NZB in Linux. Hellanzb is available as a free download on the ArchLinux website.
