Convert PSC to SQL

A PSC file usually needs conversion when a database must be restored on another server, inspected outside Navicat, or delivered as a portable .sql script. Renaming .psc to .sql does not convert the backup because PSC contains proprietary compressed backup data rather than SQL text.

What the PSC format is

PSC commonly denotes a Navicat compressed backup, especially for MySQL-compatible databases. Navicat creates this proprietary binary backup instead of storing readable CREATE TABLE and INSERT statements. Other Navicat database products may use different backup extensions, so confirm the originating database engine and Navicat version before attempting a restore.

The PSC may contain schema, table data, indexes, views, triggers, routines, or events, but only if those objects were selected or supported when the backup was created. A backup password, if configured, is also required. Text editors, MySQL Workbench, and ordinary SQL clients cannot import a PSC as a script.

What the SQL format is

An .sql file is normally a plain-text script containing statements such as CREATE TABLE, INSERT, CREATE VIEW, and stored-program definitions. A compatible database server can execute the script to recreate schema and data, making it useful for migration, review, source control, and archival.

SQL is a language, not one universally compatible file format. MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, and Oracle differ in data types, quoting, procedural syntax, extensions, and dump commands. A script exported for one engine may require changes before another engine can execute it.

How to convert a PSC file

1. Install the Navicat edition that supports the PSC file's database engine, then create a connection to a temporary or empty database server with sufficient storage.
2. Open the connection, choose Tools → Restore Backup or right-click the target database and choose Restore Backup; the exact menu wording varies by Navicat version.
3. Select the .psc file, enter its password if required, and restore it to the temporary database. Do not overwrite production data before checking the database name, objects, and approximate row counts.
4. Export the restored database with Dump SQL File, Export Wizard, or the equivalent Navicat command. Select structure, data, routines, triggers, events, indexes, and other required objects, then choose the correct character set and output file.
5. Save the result as a file such as database.sql, open a copy to verify its header and statements, and test-import it into an empty database running the intended target engine.

Navicat is the appropriate desktop option because it understands the PSC backup structure. There is generally no trustworthy one-step web converter for PSC. Reputable online file-conversion services are useful for common text or document formats, but they normally cannot parse Navicat's proprietary backup and are unsuitable for confidential database contents. Use an online service only if its documentation explicitly supports the exact Navicat PSC variant and the data is permitted to leave your controlled environment.

Exporting with database tools

After restoring a MySQL or MariaDB PSC backup, the native command-line utility can produce the SQL file:

mysqldump --routines --triggers --events --databases database_name > database.sql

After restoring a PostgreSQL backup that is actually supported by the installed Navicat product, use:

pg_dump --format=plain --file=database.sql database_name

Use the command for the restored server, not the extension of the original backup. Supply connection details through client configuration, environment variables, or a password prompt rather than placing passwords directly in shell history. Options such as routines, triggers, events, ownership, privileges, and large-object handling must be selected according to the objects that need to survive the export.

Quality and compatibility limits

• Database-level SQL dumps usually do not include server users, global permissions, replication settings, scheduled jobs, instance configuration, or every tablespace setting; recreate those separately.
• Stored procedures, functions, triggers, events, views, foreign keys, and vendor-specific types may be omitted unless the backup and export settings include them and the account has sufficient privileges.
• Check character encoding, collation, time-zone behavior, null handling, routines, foreign keys, and representative row counts after importing the generated script.
• A script exported from MySQL or MariaDB is not automatically executable by PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or Oracle. Engine-specific syntax and data-type changes may be required.
• Use a Navicat version compatible with the PSC's originating engine and backup format. If Navicat cannot open the file, verify the file is complete, obtain the required password, and identify the product and version that created it rather than changing its extension.