.BKF files MSBackup in XP cant restore backup - almost suicidal !

[Progenic7]

Hi to all on this great forum.

I know this issue has been discussed before on here a good while ago now, but this times it has happened to me and im at my wits end at what to do.
I new that MSBackup has some issues over multi OS's ie backing up in 98 and trying to migrate and then restore backup in XP for instance, but i havent done anything so complicated as that.
I backed up the entire contents of S: (my main backup drive with about 4gb of files on it) on XP Pro, using ms backup.
The process went well and then duly saved this to DVD.
Then followed a re format, another 3 hard drives installed and a Raid array 0 over 3 drives, installed XP pro again (this time a different copy of XP though, and clearly a different VLK)
installed all drivers and MS patches, hot fixes and service packs and thought it was about time i restored my backup, back into xp pro so should be dead easy with no issues at all.

WRONG !

the backup file has unrecognized data and cannot be used (or something along those lines appeared).
so i panicked a wee bit, and thought i'll copy it off the DVD onto the hard drive (Now C: raid array 0 )and it copied over just fine.
So i try and restore again using backup and get the same error message.
I have tried altering permissions, changing drive compression, allowing drive indexing, changing from dynamic back to a basic NTFS drive and nothing works.
i cannot afford to buy a $200 utility for a one time usage and dont know what else to do.
I have tried to use Ntbkup.exe but cant even open the file (my dos experience is zero) when i try to execute the programme all i get is a command box flash up for like a millisecond on the screen and then disapear again.
I cant find the info on using it either, not step by step for dos morons anyway ;-(

like i said this is not a multi platform incompatibility issue, nor a failed hard drive issue. The backup tool was the same and the OS was the same, the media i used was perfect, and the drive was also perfect.
The only real difference from then to now is that XP is a different copy, and perhaps has slightly different hotfixes attached but that really shouldnt make any difference should it.

can anybody out there help ?
even some basic advice on how the hell i open Ntbkup.exe and get to the point where i can breakdown the directories and maybe save them again.

please please please, this data is really important stuff but im not a rich man, i have stuff in the .bkf that i first created in 1996, family pics, work stuff the whole ten yards !

 

[IllogicallyLogical]

Did you use the option to 'Verify data after backup' when you backed up the files originally to verify the backup was indeed intact? You said you tried altering permissions on the file after you copied it over to your local hard drive. Did you give yourself Full Control permission? Did you add the SYSTEM account to the ACL and give it Full Control permission too? If the backup file is in fact corrupt, I'm afraid you are looking for a backup repair program to repair the file. I haven't seen any free ones yet, but I have seen some for as low as $99 and $129.

Joey
CCNA, MCP, A+, Network+, Wireless#

 

[linney]

Can you try restoring those files on to another PC and then manually copying over to the current PC?

Win9x & XP & NT MSBackUp File Format and Data Recovery
See if this (paragraph) works at all?
"Data Recovery from a *.BKF file with NTBkUp"

http://www.fpns.net/willy/msbackup.htm

MS Backup Repair Software v1.0

http://www.filebuzz.com/fileinfo/38692/MS_Backup_Repair_Software.html

2) Weird "Restore" Error

http://langa.com/newsletters/2005/2005-03-03.htm

I wonder if they might Restore on to a Vista machine?

Windows NT Backup - Restore Utility

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...3-2A53107D54A7&mg_id=10105&displaylang=en#top

http://www.jsifaq.com/SUBL/tip5500/rh5565.htm

Google search on -
restore files from an XP bkf file

 

[DTracy]

I think I would try the restore to a FAT32 machine like Linney suggested, then just do file copy to move the files to a CD or thumb drive.

I've never had any luck restoring compressed FAT32 data on an NTFS machine.

Regards,
David

 

[Progenic7]

thanks for the replies, i couldnt log in yestreday as my braodband had gone down in the exchange (the luck im having lateley).

yes i altered all permissions and i verified data afterwards and all was well. I think the problem may have been migrating at the time over several logical drives (some ntfs and some fat 32) im not sure.
I have googled the exact error message and google brings back over 200,000 pages of horried ms users with exactly the same problem, all having no luck opening a .bkf file.
the crazy thing is when i use one of those $200 demos to read the file 100% of the file is intact and 100% of the data is ready to recover (then they want the money before you can save the data tree).
why the hell havnt microsoft developed a tool to do the same if its that easy to open a corrupted .bkf anyway. Someone else told me these simple are progs are only written in vb and would take only a short time to write. It seems like its a very common problem.
The only problem i now is the NTbkup prog which is free but you need a little DOS experience and i have none, but i think it works for most people.
The guy who wrote it was like me he had the same peoplem so wrote a little prog to fix it.
It also seems the backup programe has issues when saving it to a cd or dvd (which also could be the problem) im guessing really but after the pages and pages i have read up on the subject, it seems to happen 50% of the time.
Microsoft actually say there is no known issues when backing up in XP and its probably a HDD problem (good old boys) thanks for that i feel loads better.
if anybody has a few basic steps on A) how do i open a cmd based programe in XP (the programmer says i need to be using cmd's like -P, -X, -dir ect ect but i cant even open the programme never mind use the commands)
hes also put it into an executable but all that does is briefly flash up on the screen then disapear ?

any ideas would be appreciated ?

thanks for your help

JJ

 

[Davetoo]

Well, is the data worth $200 or isn't it?

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

 

[linney]

You will find the Windows DOS Command Prompt by typing CMD in the Start Run box.

You will then need a few DOS Command to navigate around the place. It might be easier to use this article so that you can do most of the navigating in Windows before going in to DOS.

How to start a command prompt in a folder in Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=320148#appliesto

Use the Help Center and Search for MS-DOS Overview. Also typing - Command-line reference A-Z - will bring up some more help. You are not going to learn much about DOS from a couple of lines in a Forum.

 

[Progenic7]

i feel perhaps th epoint is being a little overlooked.

the data is priceless to me but i simply dont have $200 to spare at the moment, plus th efact i also begrudge paying for something when i know there are other alternatives to be explored.

the guy that made the nTbackup utility is here or atleast the page and files are, is anybody familiar with it ?

http://www.fpns.net/willy/msbackup.htm

im not really much interested in learning DOS in general, i have a list of the commands necessary to restore all files from any corrupted .bkf file (that much i have gathered from the webpage) i simply cant work out how to open the programme, which he has kindly put into an executable file for the idiots out there, but it still wont open. So im wondering what im doing wrong.
the .exe resides on my desktop currently (bad i know) so do i need to open a command box and then further the command to open the file ?
when i double click on it, it simple flashes up with a black command box then disapears again.
most people seem to have got this working with great success, but the madenning thing is, even though msbackup wont open it as it says there is unrecognized data in it, all the data is fully intact and retrievable.

 

[linney]

Open a Command Prompt using an Administrator account or the RunAs Command.

Physically drag your NtBkup program in to the Command Prompt window. Click on Enter to see all the Syntax for Commands, see if you can then fathom it out.

 

[Progenic7]

linney.....

your a star ;-) thanks mate thats all i needed.

all the years i have been into computers and i didnt know you could drag an exe into a cmd box lol.

it opened straight away and gave all the syntax in a nice neat list.

guess what ?

my msbackup so called corrupted file which is unreadable and cannot be used....is totally readable and 100% intact

this programme was written in 3 days by an amature with a mild interest in the major backup problems caused by ms.

makes me wonder if somebody is taking a huge back hander. as there are laods of companies out there charging hundreds for this very simple task, the billions ms are worth and the vast array of delelopers on board and they cant spare 3 days ? hmmmmmm

ahh well alls well that ends well, i have a total result and my very precious data is once more where it should be (away from ms backup ;-) )

my newly built system is finally at peace, thanks again mate

JJ

 

[linney]

You're welcome. If you ever get Vista, Microsoft I have not as yet included the ability to drag into a Command Prompt in Vista, that's progress for you.

 

[DTracy]

Linney,

Way to go, you're really paying attention! I didn't figure out what he actually wanted until the last post.

Regards,
David.

 

[Progenic7]

dtracy,

lol i do have a bit of a tendancy to ramble on a bit and over stretch details alittle, but but linney could see through the haze and got me where i needed to go.

the programme Ntbkup is an open source prog and is available for download, in many formats for free.
I think a good programmer could do a lot more with it. This backup issue seems to be much bigger than microsoft admit, and in nearly every case the files are always easily retreavable.
Hope this helps somebody else that is totally freaked out by the, cannot open due to unrecognized data error.

i am now switching to another backup utility from now on, which has no such conflicts and is much more stable ;-)

JJ