How to find Coordinate System of datasets inside MDB and GDB

Question

I have been given some ESRI personal geodatabase files (MDB) and file geodatabase files (GDB). I don't know the coordinate system(s) for these files. Is there a way to do this without using ESRI software?

Answer 1

For feature classes in a file geodatabase you can use GDAL OGR. Be sure it has ESRI file geodatabase support which I think is GDAL version 1.9 or later. You can use the open version of File Geodatabase support this as well, I use this. MDB support in GDAL comes in via ODBC. QGIS will open the GDB and MDB files as well. Or you could just ask the person who gave you the files.

• Jim: Yes, QGIS will open the GDB and knows what the SRID is so I can get it that way. However, when I open an MDB geodatabase, QGIS asks me what the SRID is. This indicates that this information is not stored in the MDB. Too bad, I was hoping it was in one of those GDB_ tables in the MDB. The person who gave me the files does not know what the SRID is either.
• If you do not know- just GIS: you can usually work it out. You should be able to view it if you follow these instructions.gis.stackexchange.com/questions/129514/…. remember it may not have one.