I recently did a clean reinstall (windows xp pro sp2) and had saved my files
(favorites, documents, photos, etc.) using the Windows backup utility
(ntbackup). I saved the backup to my hard drive, zipped it, and transferred
the zip to a disk in drive D. After the reinstall of Windows XP Pro, I moved
the zip back to the hard drive, unzipped it (with Winzip) but could not
restore my files. I get the message "The backup file contains unrecognized
data and cannot be used." Googling the problem, I found a some programs to
recover the corrupted files but they cost anywhere from $80 to $150. I can't
afford to pay that!! The most frustrating part is microsoft making the
backup part a breeze (oh sure, just click here and there and pick what you
want to back up -- nothing to it!) and then they leave you high and dry by
NOT telling you you're on your own when it comes to the restoring part. Are
there any free programs out there I can use? I think Microsoft should
provide one!! It seems there are tons of people with the same problem!!

Any ideas???

"CS" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:F56C3044-074B-4B61-A74B-(E-Mail Removed)...
>I recently did a clean reinstall (windows xp pro sp2) and had saved my
>files
> (favorites, documents, photos, etc.) using the Windows backup utility
> (ntbackup). I saved the backup to my hard drive, zipped it, and
> transferred
> the zip to a disk in drive D. After the reinstall of Windows XP Pro, I
> moved
> the zip back to the hard drive, unzipped it (with Winzip) but could not
> restore my files. I get the message "The backup file contains unrecognized
> data and cannot be used." Googling the problem, I found a some programs
> to
> recover the corrupted files but they cost anywhere from $80 to $150. I
> can't
> afford to pay that!! The most frustrating part is microsoft making the
> backup part a breeze (oh sure, just click here and there and pick what you
> want to back up -- nothing to it!) and then they leave you high and dry by
> NOT telling you you're on your own when it comes to the restoring part.
> Are
> there any free programs out there I can use? I think Microsoft should
> provide one!! It seems there are tons of people with the same problem!!
>
> Any ideas???

There were several steps involved in creating and manipulating your backup
file:
1. Create it with ntbackup.exe.
2. Zip it with some compression tool.
3. Transfer it to drive D:.
4. Transfer it back from drive D:
5. Unzip it.
6. Restore it.
Mistakes can happen in each and every one of these steps, which is why it is
absolutely essential to check one's ability to restore irreplaceable files
*before* deleting the source data. Blaming ntbackup.exe is perhaps a little
premature - the problem could have happened in any one of the six steps you
performed. Whether your data can be recovered is uncertain but an
examination of your .bkf file might shed some light on the cause of the
problem. Try this process. It will extract the header from your .bkf file,
which you can then attach to your reply for examination.
1. Click Start/Run
2. Type this command:
notepad c:\Extract.vbs
3. Click OK.
4. Allow a new file to be created.
5. Copy and paste the code below into the notepad.
6. Save & close the file.
7. Click Start / Run
8. Type this command:
c:\Extract.vbs
9. Click the OK button.
10. Select your .bkf file when prompted.
11. Click the OK button.
12. Attach the file c:\Test.bin to your response.
13. Report the date, time and size of your .bkf file.
14. Report the date, time and size of your .zip file.

Note also that backing up your files before re-installing Windows was a good
idea but fell well short of standard data processing practice. If important
data is stored on a PC then this data must be backed up to an external
medium at regular intervals, e.g. weekly. Not doing this is asking for
trouble. A 2.5" disk in an external USB case is a low-cost but highly
effective backup medium.

sTest = "c:\Test.bin"
sFSO = "Scripting.FileSystemObject"
sDialog = "UserAccounts.CommonDialog"
Set oFSO = CreateObject(sFSO)
Set oDialog = CreateObject(sDialog)
oDialog.Filter = "All Files|*.bkf"
oDialog.InitialDir = "c:\"
If oDialog.ShowOpen <> 0 _
Then sName = oDialog.FileName _
Else WScript.Quit
Set oFile = oFSO.OpenTextFile(sName)
sData = oFile.Read(10000)
oFile.Close
Set oFile = oFSO.CreateTextFile(sTest, True)
oFile.Write sData
oFile.Close
MsgBox "10,000 bytes of data written to " & sTest, 0

The 6 steps you listed are exactly what I did. I saved it to disk and also
on a flash drive, neither of which works on the restore utility.

Here is the vbs document. The date time and size of the bkf file is
7/25/09; 11:45 am; 350,040 KB. For the zip file it's 7/25/09; 12:05 pm;
244,589.

However, there is another issue: the above files created on 7/25 was my
second attempt to restore. The first attempt was on 7/17 and the files are
considerably larger - 570 MB on the zip and 88659 KB (584,433 (packed) on the
bkf (why was the zip so much larger than the bkf?). When I tried to create a
vbs file for this first attempt, it would not find the bkf file, yet it shows
up on drive c: in windows explorer. What is the reason for that?

"Pegasus [MVP]" wrote:

>
> "CS" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:F56C3044-074B-4B61-A74B-(E-Mail Removed)...
> >I recently did a clean reinstall (windows xp pro sp2) and had saved my
> >files
> > (favorites, documents, photos, etc.) using the Windows backup utility
> > (ntbackup). I saved the backup to my hard drive, zipped it, and
> > transferred
> > the zip to a disk in drive D. After the reinstall of Windows XP Pro, I
> > moved
> > the zip back to the hard drive, unzipped it (with Winzip) but could not
> > restore my files. I get the message "The backup file contains unrecognized
> > data and cannot be used." Googling the problem, I found a some programs
> > to
> > recover the corrupted files but they cost anywhere from $80 to $150. I
> > can't
> > afford to pay that!! The most frustrating part is microsoft making the
> > backup part a breeze (oh sure, just click here and there and pick what you
> > want to back up -- nothing to it!) and then they leave you high and dry by
> > NOT telling you you're on your own when it comes to the restoring part.
> > Are
> > there any free programs out there I can use? I think Microsoft should
> > provide one!! It seems there are tons of people with the same problem!!
> >
> > Any ideas???
>
> There were several steps involved in creating and manipulating your backup
> file:
> 1. Create it with ntbackup.exe.
> 2. Zip it with some compression tool.
> 3. Transfer it to drive D:.
> 4. Transfer it back from drive D:
> 5. Unzip it.
> 6. Restore it.
> Mistakes can happen in each and every one of these steps, which is why it is
> absolutely essential to check one's ability to restore irreplaceable files
> *before* deleting the source data. Blaming ntbackup.exe is perhaps a little
> premature - the problem could have happened in any one of the six steps you
> performed. Whether your data can be recovered is uncertain but an
> examination of your .bkf file might shed some light on the cause of the
> problem. Try this process. It will extract the header from your .bkf file,
> which you can then attach to your reply for examination.
> 1. Click Start/Run
> 2. Type this command:
> notepad c:\Extract.vbs
> 3. Click OK.
> 4. Allow a new file to be created.
> 5. Copy and paste the code below into the notepad.
> 6. Save & close the file.
> 7. Click Start / Run
> 8. Type this command:
> c:\Extract.vbs
> 9. Click the OK button.
> 10. Select your .bkf file when prompted.
> 11. Click the OK button.
> 12. Attach the file c:\Test.bin to your response.
> 13. Report the date, time and size of your .bkf file.
> 14. Report the date, time and size of your .zip file.
>
> Note also that backing up your files before re-installing Windows was a good
> idea but fell well short of standard data processing practice. If important
> data is stored on a PC then this data must be backed up to an external
> medium at regular intervals, e.g. weekly. Not doing this is asking for
> trouble. A 2.5" disk in an external USB case is a low-cost but highly
> effective backup medium.
>
> sTest = "c:\Test.bin"
> sFSO = "Scripting.FileSystemObject"
> sDialog = "UserAccounts.CommonDialog"
> Set oFSO = CreateObject(sFSO)
> Set oDialog = CreateObject(sDialog)
> oDialog.Filter = "All Files|*.bkf"
> oDialog.InitialDir = "c:\"
> If oDialog.ShowOpen <> 0 _
> Then sName = oDialog.FileName _
> Else WScript.Quit
> Set oFile = oFSO.OpenTextFile(sName)
> sData = oFile.Read(10000)
> oFile.Close
> Set oFile = oFSO.CreateTextFile(sTest, True)
> oFile.Write sData
> oFile.Close
> MsgBox "10,000 bytes of data written to " & sTest, 0
>
>
>

I don't quite follow your description of restoration attempts. Do you
perhaps mean "back-up" when you say "restore"?

Perhaps you cannot find your .bkf file because it is hidden. When prompted
then you can enter its name and location manually, e.g. like so:

"c:\documents and settings\CarlS\Desktop\SomeFile.bks"


"CS" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:E630DFA4-7001-4C00-B726-(E-Mail Removed)...
> The 6 steps you listed are exactly what I did. I saved it to disk and
> also
> on a flash drive, neither of which works on the restore utility.
>
> Here is the vbs document. The date time and size of the bkf file is
> 7/25/09; 11:45 am; 350,040 KB. For the zip file it's 7/25/09; 12:05 pm;
> 244,589.
>
> However, there is another issue: the above files created on 7/25 was my
> second attempt to restore. The first attempt was on 7/17 and the files
> are
> considerably larger - 570 MB on the zip and 88659 KB (584,433 (packed) on
> the
> bkf (why was the zip so much larger than the bkf?). When I tried to
> create a
> vbs file for this first attempt, it would not find the bkf file, yet it
> shows
> up on drive c: in windows explorer. What is the reason for that?
>
> "Pegasus [MVP]" wrote:
>
>>
>> "CS" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:F56C3044-074B-4B61-A74B-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> >I recently did a clean reinstall (windows xp pro sp2) and had saved my
>> >files
>> > (favorites, documents, photos, etc.) using the Windows backup utility
>> > (ntbackup). I saved the backup to my hard drive, zipped it, and
>> > transferred
>> > the zip to a disk in drive D. After the reinstall of Windows XP Pro, I
>> > moved
>> > the zip back to the hard drive, unzipped it (with Winzip) but could not
>> > restore my files. I get the message "The backup file contains
>> > unrecognized
>> > data and cannot be used." Googling the problem, I found a some
>> > programs
>> > to
>> > recover the corrupted files but they cost anywhere from $80 to $150. I
>> > can't
>> > afford to pay that!! The most frustrating part is microsoft making the
>> > backup part a breeze (oh sure, just click here and there and pick what
>> > you
>> > want to back up -- nothing to it!) and then they leave you high and dry
>> > by
>> > NOT telling you you're on your own when it comes to the restoring part.
>> > Are
>> > there any free programs out there I can use? I think Microsoft should
>> > provide one!! It seems there are tons of people with the same
>> > problem!!
>> >
>> > Any ideas???
>>
>> There were several steps involved in creating and manipulating your
>> backup
>> file:
>> 1. Create it with ntbackup.exe.
>> 2. Zip it with some compression tool.
>> 3. Transfer it to drive D:.
>> 4. Transfer it back from drive D:
>> 5. Unzip it.
>> 6. Restore it.
>> Mistakes can happen in each and every one of these steps, which is why it
>> is
>> absolutely essential to check one's ability to restore irreplaceable
>> files
>> *before* deleting the source data. Blaming ntbackup.exe is perhaps a
>> little
>> premature - the problem could have happened in any one of the six steps
>> you
>> performed. Whether your data can be recovered is uncertain but an
>> examination of your .bkf file might shed some light on the cause of the
>> problem. Try this process. It will extract the header from your .bkf
>> file,
>> which you can then attach to your reply for examination.
>> 1. Click Start/Run
>> 2. Type this command:
>> notepad c:\Extract.vbs
>> 3. Click OK.
>> 4. Allow a new file to be created.
>> 5. Copy and paste the code below into the notepad.
>> 6. Save & close the file.
>> 7. Click Start / Run
>> 8. Type this command:
>> c:\Extract.vbs
>> 9. Click the OK button.
>> 10. Select your .bkf file when prompted.
>> 11. Click the OK button.
>> 12. Attach the file c:\Test.bin to your response.
>> 13. Report the date, time and size of your .bkf file.
>> 14. Report the date, time and size of your .zip file.
>>
>> Note also that backing up your files before re-installing Windows was a
>> good
>> idea but fell well short of standard data processing practice. If
>> important
>> data is stored on a PC then this data must be backed up to an external
>> medium at regular intervals, e.g. weekly. Not doing this is asking for
>> trouble. A 2.5" disk in an external USB case is a low-cost but highly
>> effective backup medium.
>>
>> sTest = "c:\Test.bin"
>> sFSO = "Scripting.FileSystemObject"
>> sDialog = "UserAccounts.CommonDialog"
>> Set oFSO = CreateObject(sFSO)
>> Set oDialog = CreateObject(sDialog)
>> oDialog.Filter = "All Files|*.bkf"
>> oDialog.InitialDir = "c:\"
>> If oDialog.ShowOpen <> 0 _
>> Then sName = oDialog.FileName _
>> Else WScript.Quit
>> Set oFile = oFSO.OpenTextFile(sName)
>> sData = oFile.Read(10000)
>> oFile.Close
>> Set oFile = oFSO.CreateTextFile(sTest, True)
>> oFile.Write sData
>> oFile.Close
>> MsgBox "10,000 bytes of data written to " & sTest, 0
>>
>>
>>

No. I mean I tried on two separate occassions to open the same backup file
-- I only did one backup and that was on 7/17.

As it stands now, there is a file folder on my c: drive created 7/17 called
"Backup", within that folder there is another file folder called "Backup",
within that folder is the bkf file, but when I try to open it, I get the
following errors:

Some data in your zip file is damaged - crc check failed;
unable to extract - the size of the extracted file (909971058) does not
match the compressed size (909986816) recorded in the zip file.

There is another file folder under My Documents that I created on the 25th
called "Extracted from Backup". Within that folder is another file folder
called "Backup". Within that file folder is the bkf file that I sent you.
It apparently unzipped successfully, but when I try to open it with the
Windows Backup Utility, it
gives me the following error: The backup file contains unrecognized data
and cannot be used

I was working under a different user name each time I attempted to open the
files, does that make a difference? both users are in the administrator
group. As a matter of fact, the user name I was working under when I
performed the backup (prior to the clean install) doesn't even exist anymore
because when I reinstalled windows, I did not create a user with that name.



"Pegasus [MVP]" wrote:

> I don't quite follow your description of restoration attempts. Do you
> perhaps mean "back-up" when you say "restore"?
>
> Perhaps you cannot find your .bkf file because it is hidden. When prompted
> then you can enter its name and location manually, e.g. like so:
>
> "c:\documents and settings\CarlS\Desktop\SomeFile.bks"
>
>
> "CS" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:E630DFA4-7001-4C00-B726-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > The 6 steps you listed are exactly what I did. I saved it to disk and
> > also
> > on a flash drive, neither of which works on the restore utility.
> >
> > Here is the vbs document. The date time and size of the bkf file is
> > 7/25/09; 11:45 am; 350,040 KB. For the zip file it's 7/25/09; 12:05 pm;
> > 244,589.
> >
> > However, there is another issue: the above files created on 7/25 was my
> > second attempt to restore. The first attempt was on 7/17 and the files
> > are
> > considerably larger - 570 MB on the zip and 88659 KB (584,433 (packed) on
> > the
> > bkf (why was the zip so much larger than the bkf?). When I tried to
> > create a
> > vbs file for this first attempt, it would not find the bkf file, yet it
> > shows
> > up on drive c: in windows explorer. What is the reason for that?
> >
> > "Pegasus [MVP]" wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> "CS" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> >> news:F56C3044-074B-4B61-A74B-(E-Mail Removed)...
> >> >I recently did a clean reinstall (windows xp pro sp2) and had saved my
> >> >files
> >> > (favorites, documents, photos, etc.) using the Windows backup utility
> >> > (ntbackup). I saved the backup to my hard drive, zipped it, and
> >> > transferred
> >> > the zip to a disk in drive D. After the reinstall of Windows XP Pro, I
> >> > moved
> >> > the zip back to the hard drive, unzipped it (with Winzip) but could not
> >> > restore my files. I get the message "The backup file contains
> >> > unrecognized
> >> > data and cannot be used." Googling the problem, I found a some
> >> > programs
> >> > to
> >> > recover the corrupted files but they cost anywhere from $80 to $150. I
> >> > can't
> >> > afford to pay that!! The most frustrating part is microsoft making the
> >> > backup part a breeze (oh sure, just click here and there and pick what
> >> > you
> >> > want to back up -- nothing to it!) and then they leave you high and dry
> >> > by
> >> > NOT telling you you're on your own when it comes to the restoring part.
> >> > Are
> >> > there any free programs out there I can use? I think Microsoft should
> >> > provide one!! It seems there are tons of people with the same
> >> > problem!!
> >> >
> >> > Any ideas???
> >>
> >> There were several steps involved in creating and manipulating your
> >> backup
> >> file:
> >> 1. Create it with ntbackup.exe.
> >> 2. Zip it with some compression tool.
> >> 3. Transfer it to drive D:.
> >> 4. Transfer it back from drive D:
> >> 5. Unzip it.
> >> 6. Restore it.
> >> Mistakes can happen in each and every one of these steps, which is why it
> >> is
> >> absolutely essential to check one's ability to restore irreplaceable
> >> files
> >> *before* deleting the source data. Blaming ntbackup.exe is perhaps a
> >> little
> >> premature - the problem could have happened in any one of the six steps
> >> you
> >> performed. Whether your data can be recovered is uncertain but an
> >> examination of your .bkf file might shed some light on the cause of the
> >> problem. Try this process. It will extract the header from your .bkf
> >> file,
> >> which you can then attach to your reply for examination.
> >> 1. Click Start/Run
> >> 2. Type this command:
> >> notepad c:\Extract.vbs
> >> 3. Click OK.
> >> 4. Allow a new file to be created.
> >> 5. Copy and paste the code below into the notepad.
> >> 6. Save & close the file.
> >> 7. Click Start / Run
> >> 8. Type this command:
> >> c:\Extract.vbs
> >> 9. Click the OK button.
> >> 10. Select your .bkf file when prompted.
> >> 11. Click the OK button.
> >> 12. Attach the file c:\Test.bin to your response.
> >> 13. Report the date, time and size of your .bkf file.
> >> 14. Report the date, time and size of your .zip file.
> >>
> >> Note also that backing up your files before re-installing Windows was a
> >> good
> >> idea but fell well short of standard data processing practice. If
> >> important
> >> data is stored on a PC then this data must be backed up to an external
> >> medium at regular intervals, e.g. weekly. Not doing this is asking for
> >> trouble. A 2.5" disk in an external USB case is a low-cost but highly
> >> effective backup medium.
> >>
> >> sTest = "c:\Test.bin"
> >> sFSO = "Scripting.FileSystemObject"
> >> sDialog = "UserAccounts.CommonDialog"
> >> Set oFSO = CreateObject(sFSO)
> >> Set oDialog = CreateObject(sDialog)
> >> oDialog.Filter = "All Files|*.bkf"
> >> oDialog.InitialDir = "c:\"
> >> If oDialog.ShowOpen <> 0 _
> >> Then sName = oDialog.FileName _
> >> Else WScript.Quit
> >> Set oFile = oFSO.OpenTextFile(sName)
> >> sData = oFile.Read(10000)
> >> oFile.Close
> >> Set oFile = oFSO.CreateTextFile(sTest, True)
> >> oFile.Write sData
> >> oFile.Close
> >> MsgBox "10,000 bytes of data written to " & sTest, 0
> >>
> >>
> >>
>
>
>

Sorry, so far I have not seen any file attached to your responses. Did you
check your posted responses after sending them? Can you see any attachments?
If you can't then you could send them by EMail to pegasus_fnlATyahooDOTcom.

From your current reply I gather that the problem may not so much lie with
your .bkf file but with your .zip file. If your .zip file is damaged then it
will not restore a readable .bkf file.

I am suspicious about your phrase "It apparently unzipped successfully". You
need to approach this issue in a systematic manner so that there is no doubt
about what you're doing. There is no room for words such as "apparently" in
this process. I recommend you do this:
1. Create the folder c:\Restore.
2. Copy the .zip file to c:\Restore.
3. Unzip it.
4. Report the result of the unzip action.
5. Where did the unzipped .bkf file go?
6. If it did not go into c:\Restore, move it there.
7. Try to open the file c:\Restore\xxx.bkf with ntbackup.
8. If unsuccessful, run my .vbs program so that you can
send me the header block of this .bkf file.

"CS" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:5E14055F-81D1-4418-9FC3-(E-Mail Removed)...
> No. I mean I tried on two separate occassions to open the same backup
> file
> -- I only did one backup and that was on 7/17.
>
> As it stands now, there is a file folder on my c: drive created 7/17
> called
> "Backup", within that folder there is another file folder called "Backup",
> within that folder is the bkf file, but when I try to open it, I get the
> following errors:
>
> Some data in your zip file is damaged - crc check failed;
> unable to extract - the size of the extracted file (909971058) does not
> match the compressed size (909986816) recorded in the zip file.
>
> There is another file folder under My Documents that I created on the 25th
> called "Extracted from Backup". Within that folder is another file folder
> called "Backup". Within that file folder is the bkf file that I sent you.
> It apparently unzipped successfully, but when I try to open it with the
> Windows Backup Utility, it
> gives me the following error: The backup file contains unrecognized data
> and cannot be used
>
> I was working under a different user name each time I attempted to open
> the
> files, does that make a difference? both users are in the administrator
> group. As a matter of fact, the user name I was working under when I
> performed the backup (prior to the clean install) doesn't even exist
> anymore
> because when I reinstalled windows, I did not create a user with that
> name.
>
>
>
> "Pegasus [MVP]" wrote:
>
>> I don't quite follow your description of restoration attempts. Do you
>> perhaps mean "back-up" when you say "restore"?
>>
>> Perhaps you cannot find your .bkf file because it is hidden. When
>> prompted
>> then you can enter its name and location manually, e.g. like so:
>>
>> "c:\documents and settings\CarlS\Desktop\SomeFile.bks"
>>
>>
>> "CS" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:E630DFA4-7001-4C00-B726-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> > The 6 steps you listed are exactly what I did. I saved it to disk and
>> > also
>> > on a flash drive, neither of which works on the restore utility.
>> >
>> > Here is the vbs document. The date time and size of the bkf file is
>> > 7/25/09; 11:45 am; 350,040 KB. For the zip file it's 7/25/09; 12:05
>> > pm;
>> > 244,589.
>> >
>> > However, there is another issue: the above files created on 7/25 was
>> > my
>> > second attempt to restore. The first attempt was on 7/17 and the files
>> > are
>> > considerably larger - 570 MB on the zip and 88659 KB (584,433 (packed)
>> > on
>> > the
>> > bkf (why was the zip so much larger than the bkf?). When I tried to
>> > create a
>> > vbs file for this first attempt, it would not find the bkf file, yet it
>> > shows
>> > up on drive c: in windows explorer. What is the reason for that?
>> >
>> > "Pegasus [MVP]" wrote:
>> >
>> >>
>> >> "CS" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> >> news:F56C3044-074B-4B61-A74B-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> >> >I recently did a clean reinstall (windows xp pro sp2) and had saved
>> >> >my
>> >> >files
>> >> > (favorites, documents, photos, etc.) using the Windows backup
>> >> > utility
>> >> > (ntbackup). I saved the backup to my hard drive, zipped it, and
>> >> > transferred
>> >> > the zip to a disk in drive D. After the reinstall of Windows XP
>> >> > Pro, I
>> >> > moved
>> >> > the zip back to the hard drive, unzipped it (with Winzip) but could
>> >> > not
>> >> > restore my files. I get the message "The backup file contains
>> >> > unrecognized
>> >> > data and cannot be used." Googling the problem, I found a some
>> >> > programs
>> >> > to
>> >> > recover the corrupted files but they cost anywhere from $80 to $150.
>> >> > I
>> >> > can't
>> >> > afford to pay that!! The most frustrating part is microsoft making
>> >> > the
>> >> > backup part a breeze (oh sure, just click here and there and pick
>> >> > what
>> >> > you
>> >> > want to back up -- nothing to it!) and then they leave you high and
>> >> > dry
>> >> > by
>> >> > NOT telling you you're on your own when it comes to the restoring
>> >> > part.
>> >> > Are
>> >> > there any free programs out there I can use? I think Microsoft
>> >> > should
>> >> > provide one!! It seems there are tons of people with the same
>> >> > problem!!
>> >> >
>> >> > Any ideas???
>> >>
>> >> There were several steps involved in creating and manipulating your
>> >> backup
>> >> file:
>> >> 1. Create it with ntbackup.exe.
>> >> 2. Zip it with some compression tool.
>> >> 3. Transfer it to drive D:.
>> >> 4. Transfer it back from drive D:
>> >> 5. Unzip it.
>> >> 6. Restore it.
>> >> Mistakes can happen in each and every one of these steps, which is why
>> >> it
>> >> is
>> >> absolutely essential to check one's ability to restore irreplaceable
>> >> files
>> >> *before* deleting the source data. Blaming ntbackup.exe is perhaps a
>> >> little
>> >> premature - the problem could have happened in any one of the six
>> >> steps
>> >> you
>> >> performed. Whether your data can be recovered is uncertain but an
>> >> examination of your .bkf file might shed some light on the cause of
>> >> the
>> >> problem. Try this process. It will extract the header from your .bkf
>> >> file,
>> >> which you can then attach to your reply for examination.
>> >> 1. Click Start/Run
>> >> 2. Type this command:
>> >> notepad c:\Extract.vbs
>> >> 3. Click OK.
>> >> 4. Allow a new file to be created.
>> >> 5. Copy and paste the code below into the notepad.
>> >> 6. Save & close the file.
>> >> 7. Click Start / Run
>> >> 8. Type this command:
>> >> c:\Extract.vbs
>> >> 9. Click the OK button.
>> >> 10. Select your .bkf file when prompted.
>> >> 11. Click the OK button.
>> >> 12. Attach the file c:\Test.bin to your response.
>> >> 13. Report the date, time and size of your .bkf file.
>> >> 14. Report the date, time and size of your .zip file.
>> >>
>> >> Note also that backing up your files before re-installing Windows was
>> >> a
>> >> good
>> >> idea but fell well short of standard data processing practice. If
>> >> important
>> >> data is stored on a PC then this data must be backed up to an external
>> >> medium at regular intervals, e.g. weekly. Not doing this is asking for
>> >> trouble. A 2.5" disk in an external USB case is a low-cost but highly
>> >> effective backup medium.
>> >>
>> >> sTest = "c:\Test.bin"
>> >> sFSO = "Scripting.FileSystemObject"
>> >> sDialog = "UserAccounts.CommonDialog"
>> >> Set oFSO = CreateObject(sFSO)
>> >> Set oDialog = CreateObject(sDialog)
>> >> oDialog.Filter = "All Files|*.bkf"
>> >> oDialog.InitialDir = "c:\"
>> >> If oDialog.ShowOpen <> 0 _
>> >> Then sName = oDialog.FileName _
>> >> Else WScript.Quit
>> >> Set oFile = oFSO.OpenTextFile(sName)
>> >> sData = oFile.Read(10000)
>> >> oFile.Close
>> >> Set oFile = oFSO.CreateTextFile(sTest, True)
>> >> oFile.Write sData
>> >> oFile.Close
>> >> MsgBox "10,000 bytes of data written to " & sTest, 0
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>>
>>
>>

"philo" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> CS wrote:
>> I recently did a clean reinstall (windows xp pro sp2) and had saved my
>> files (favorites, documents, photos, etc.) using the Windows backup
>> utility (ntbackup). I saved the backup to my hard drive, zipped it, and
>> transferred the zip to a disk in drive D. After the reinstall of Windows
>> XP Pro, I moved the zip back to the hard drive, unzipped it (with Winzip)
>> but could not restore my files. I get the message "The backup file
>> contains unrecognized data and cannot be used." Googling the problem, I
>> found a some programs to recover the corrupted files but they cost
>> anywhere from $80 to $150. I can't afford to pay that!! The most
>> frustrating part is microsoft making the backup part a breeze (oh sure,
>> just click here and there and pick what you want to back up -- nothing to
>> it!) and then they leave you high and dry by NOT telling you you're on
>> your own when it comes to the restoring part. Are there any free
>> programs out there I can use? I think Microsoft should provide one!! It
>> seems there are tons of people with the same problem!!
>>
>> Any ideas???
>
>
> Very bad idea.
>
> MS backup has a number of well documented issues.
> Best to simply just copy your data directly to a USB stick
> or burn it directly to cd's/dvd's
>

While ntbackup can be difficult to use, I am not aware of any particular
issues, well documented or otherwise. Care to quote some authoritative
sources?

"philo" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:18-dne5F5Yxjx-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Pegasus [MVP] wrote:
>> "philo" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> CS wrote:
>>>> I recently did a clean reinstall (windows xp pro sp2) and had saved my
>>>> files (favorites, documents, photos, etc.) using the Windows backup
>>>> utility (ntbackup). I saved the backup to my hard drive, zipped it,
>>>> and transferred the zip to a disk in drive D. After the reinstall of
>>>> Windows XP Pro, I moved the zip back to the hard drive, unzipped it
>>>> (with Winzip) but could not restore my files. I get the message "The
>>>> backup file contains unrecognized data and cannot be used." Googling
>>>> the problem, I found a some programs to recover the corrupted files but
>>>> they cost anywhere from $80 to $150. I can't afford to pay that!! The
>>>> most frustrating part is microsoft making the backup part a breeze (oh
>>>> sure, just click here and there and pick what you want to back up --
>>>> nothing to it!) and then they leave you high and dry by NOT telling you
>>>> you're on your own when it comes to the restoring part. Are there any
>>>> free programs out there I can use? I think Microsoft should provide
>>>> one!! It seems there are tons of people with the same problem!!
>>>>
>>>> Any ideas???
>>>
>>> Very bad idea.
>>>
>>> MS backup has a number of well documented issues.
>>> Best to simply just copy your data directly to a USB stick
>>> or burn it directly to cd's/dvd's
>>>
>>
>> While ntbackup can be difficult to use, I am not aware of any particular
>> issues, well documented or otherwise. Care to quote some authoritative
>> sources?
> LOL good point.
>
> For starters read the OP's post.
>
> I have certainly seen dozens of posts on various Usenet groups where
> others have been unable to restore their backups.
>
> Of course one of the biggest problems over the years is simply that MS
> seems to change their backup algorithm every time they come up with a new
> OS...so for that reason alone...I always recommend against using the
> utility
>
> Had I had a magic answer to help the OP I would have stated it...
> but my post was made mainly just to prevent the OP from making a similar
> mistake in the future.
>
> All I can add it that no matter what backup strategy is used...
> the backup *must* be confirmed good, prior to erasing the original data

Your point about confirming the quality of a backup is well made - I made it
too in my response.

In my book, "dozens of posts on various Usenet groups" falls well short of
"well documentend issues". Quantity does not make Quality. I would say that
this is more a question of your personal preferences and hear-say. Take the
current thread - I have a strong suspicion that the problem is caused by
user error, e.g. by zipping up his .bkf file twice, mixing files or pkzip
causing an error.

I am aware that there are incompatibilities between backups issued for
different versions of Windows. However, this is obviously not an issue for
the OP. Other than this, ntbackup is solid and reliable. Its functionality
leaves a lot to be desired but this is another story.

I have just sent the text.bin file attachment to you email

"Pegasus [MVP]" wrote:

>
> "philo" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:18-dne5F5Yxjx-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Pegasus [MVP] wrote:
> >> "philo" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> >> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> >>> CS wrote:
> >>>> I recently did a clean reinstall (windows xp pro sp2) and had saved my
> >>>> files (favorites, documents, photos, etc.) using the Windows backup
> >>>> utility (ntbackup). I saved the backup to my hard drive, zipped it,
> >>>> and transferred the zip to a disk in drive D. After the reinstall of
> >>>> Windows XP Pro, I moved the zip back to the hard drive, unzipped it
> >>>> (with Winzip) but could not restore my files. I get the message "The
> >>>> backup file contains unrecognized data and cannot be used." Googling
> >>>> the problem, I found a some programs to recover the corrupted files but
> >>>> they cost anywhere from $80 to $150. I can't afford to pay that!! The
> >>>> most frustrating part is microsoft making the backup part a breeze (oh
> >>>> sure, just click here and there and pick what you want to back up --
> >>>> nothing to it!) and then they leave you high and dry by NOT telling you
> >>>> you're on your own when it comes to the restoring part. Are there any
> >>>> free programs out there I can use? I think Microsoft should provide
> >>>> one!! It seems there are tons of people with the same problem!!
> >>>>
> >>>> Any ideas???
> >>>
> >>> Very bad idea.
> >>>
> >>> MS backup has a number of well documented issues.
> >>> Best to simply just copy your data directly to a USB stick
> >>> or burn it directly to cd's/dvd's
> >>>
> >>
> >> While ntbackup can be difficult to use, I am not aware of any particular
> >> issues, well documented or otherwise. Care to quote some authoritative
> >> sources?
> > LOL good point.
> >
> > For starters read the OP's post.
> >
> > I have certainly seen dozens of posts on various Usenet groups where
> > others have been unable to restore their backups.
> >
> > Of course one of the biggest problems over the years is simply that MS
> > seems to change their backup algorithm every time they come up with a new
> > OS...so for that reason alone...I always recommend against using the
> > utility
> >
> > Had I had a magic answer to help the OP I would have stated it...
> > but my post was made mainly just to prevent the OP from making a similar
> > mistake in the future.
> >
> > All I can add it that no matter what backup strategy is used...
> > the backup *must* be confirmed good, prior to erasing the original data
>
> Your point about confirming the quality of a backup is well made - I made it
> too in my response.
>
> In my book, "dozens of posts on various Usenet groups" falls well short of
> "well documentend issues". Quantity does not make Quality. I would say that
> this is more a question of your personal preferences and hear-say. Take the
> current thread - I have a strong suspicion that the problem is caused by
> user error, e.g. by zipping up his .bkf file twice, mixing files or pkzip
> causing an error.
>
> I am aware that there are incompatibilities between backups issued for
> different versions of Windows. However, this is obviously not an issue for
> the OP. Other than this, ntbackup is solid and reliable. Its functionality
> leaves a lot to be desired but this is another story.
>
>
>

I had a look at the file header that you sent to my Yahoo mailbox. It was
created by ntbackup.exe without any doubt. Whether ntbackup will open the
whole file I cannot tell because I have only a small fragment.

What is the result of Steps 1 to 8 I posted in my previous reply?


"Pegasus [MVP]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Sorry, so far I have not seen any file attached to your responses. Did you
> check your posted responses after sending them? Can you see any
> attachments? If you can't then you could send them by EMail to
> pegasus_fnlATyahooDOTcom.
>
> From your current reply I gather that the problem may not so much lie with
> your .bkf file but with your .zip file. If your .zip file is damaged then
> it will not restore a readable .bkf file.
>
> I am suspicious about your phrase "It apparently unzipped successfully".
> You need to approach this issue in a systematic manner so that there is no
> doubt about what you're doing. There is no room for words such as
> "apparently" in this process. I recommend you do this:
> 1. Create the folder c:\Restore.
> 2. Copy the .zip file to c:\Restore.
> 3. Unzip it.
> 4. Report the result of the unzip action.
> 5. Where did the unzipped .bkf file go?
> 6. If it did not go into c:\Restore, move it there.
> 7. Try to open the file c:\Restore\xxx.bkf with ntbackup.
> 8. If unsuccessful, run my .vbs program so that you can
> send me the header block of this .bkf file.
>
> "CS" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:5E14055F-81D1-4418-9FC3-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> No. I mean I tried on two separate occassions to open the same backup
>> file
>> -- I only did one backup and that was on 7/17.
>>
>> As it stands now, there is a file folder on my c: drive created 7/17
>> called
>> "Backup", within that folder there is another file folder called
>> "Backup",
>> within that folder is the bkf file, but when I try to open it, I get the
>> following errors:
>>
>> Some data in your zip file is damaged - crc check failed;
>> unable to extract - the size of the extracted file (909971058) does not
>> match the compressed size (909986816) recorded in the zip file.
>>
>> There is another file folder under My Documents that I created on the
>> 25th
>> called "Extracted from Backup". Within that folder is another file
>> folder
>> called "Backup". Within that file folder is the bkf file that I sent
>> you.
>> It apparently unzipped successfully, but when I try to open it with the
>> Windows Backup Utility, it
>> gives me the following error: The backup file contains unrecognized data
>> and cannot be used
>>
>> I was working under a different user name each time I attempted to open
>> the
>> files, does that make a difference? both users are in the administrator
>> group. As a matter of fact, the user name I was working under when I
>> performed the backup (prior to the clean install) doesn't even exist
>> anymore
>> because when I reinstalled windows, I did not create a user with that
>> name.
>>
>>
>>
>> "Pegasus [MVP]" wrote:
>>
>>> I don't quite follow your description of restoration attempts. Do you
>>> perhaps mean "back-up" when you say "restore"?
>>>
>>> Perhaps you cannot find your .bkf file because it is hidden. When
>>> prompted
>>> then you can enter its name and location manually, e.g. like so:
>>>
>>> "c:\documents and settings\CarlS\Desktop\SomeFile.bks"
>>>
>>>
>>> "CS" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>> news:E630DFA4-7001-4C00-B726-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> > The 6 steps you listed are exactly what I did. I saved it to disk and
>>> > also
>>> > on a flash drive, neither of which works on the restore utility.
>>> >
>>> > Here is the vbs document. The date time and size of the bkf file is
>>> > 7/25/09; 11:45 am; 350,040 KB. For the zip file it's 7/25/09; 12:05
>>> > pm;
>>> > 244,589.
>>> >
>>> > However, there is another issue: the above files created on 7/25 was
>>> > my
>>> > second attempt to restore. The first attempt was on 7/17 and the
>>> > files
>>> > are
>>> > considerably larger - 570 MB on the zip and 88659 KB (584,433 (packed)
>>> > on
>>> > the
>>> > bkf (why was the zip so much larger than the bkf?). When I tried to
>>> > create a
>>> > vbs file for this first attempt, it would not find the bkf file, yet
>>> > it
>>> > shows
>>> > up on drive c: in windows explorer. What is the reason for that?
>>> >
>>> > "Pegasus [MVP]" wrote:
>>> >
>>> >>
>>> >> "CS" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>> >> news:F56C3044-074B-4B61-A74B-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> >> >I recently did a clean reinstall (windows xp pro sp2) and had saved
>>> >> >my
>>> >> >files
>>> >> > (favorites, documents, photos, etc.) using the Windows backup
>>> >> > utility
>>> >> > (ntbackup). I saved the backup to my hard drive, zipped it, and
>>> >> > transferred
>>> >> > the zip to a disk in drive D. After the reinstall of Windows XP
>>> >> > Pro, I
>>> >> > moved
>>> >> > the zip back to the hard drive, unzipped it (with Winzip) but could
>>> >> > not
>>> >> > restore my files. I get the message "The backup file contains
>>> >> > unrecognized
>>> >> > data and cannot be used." Googling the problem, I found a some
>>> >> > programs
>>> >> > to
>>> >> > recover the corrupted files but they cost anywhere from $80 to
>>> >> > $150. I
>>> >> > can't
>>> >> > afford to pay that!! The most frustrating part is microsoft making
>>> >> > the
>>> >> > backup part a breeze (oh sure, just click here and there and pick
>>> >> > what
>>> >> > you
>>> >> > want to back up -- nothing to it!) and then they leave you high and
>>> >> > dry
>>> >> > by
>>> >> > NOT telling you you're on your own when it comes to the restoring
>>> >> > part.
>>> >> > Are
>>> >> > there any free programs out there I can use? I think Microsoft
>>> >> > should
>>> >> > provide one!! It seems there are tons of people with the same
>>> >> > problem!!
>>> >> >
>>> >> > Any ideas???
>>> >>
>>> >> There were several steps involved in creating and manipulating your
>>> >> backup
>>> >> file:
>>> >> 1. Create it with ntbackup.exe.
>>> >> 2. Zip it with some compression tool.
>>> >> 3. Transfer it to drive D:.
>>> >> 4. Transfer it back from drive D:
>>> >> 5. Unzip it.
>>> >> 6. Restore it.
>>> >> Mistakes can happen in each and every one of these steps, which is
>>> >> why it
>>> >> is
>>> >> absolutely essential to check one's ability to restore irreplaceable
>>> >> files
>>> >> *before* deleting the source data. Blaming ntbackup.exe is perhaps a
>>> >> little
>>> >> premature - the problem could have happened in any one of the six
>>> >> steps
>>> >> you
>>> >> performed. Whether your data can be recovered is uncertain but an
>>> >> examination of your .bkf file might shed some light on the cause of
>>> >> the
>>> >> problem. Try this process. It will extract the header from your .bkf
>>> >> file,
>>> >> which you can then attach to your reply for examination.
>>> >> 1. Click Start/Run
>>> >> 2. Type this command:
>>> >> notepad c:\Extract.vbs
>>> >> 3. Click OK.
>>> >> 4. Allow a new file to be created.
>>> >> 5. Copy and paste the code below into the notepad.
>>> >> 6. Save & close the file.
>>> >> 7. Click Start / Run
>>> >> 8. Type this command:
>>> >> c:\Extract.vbs
>>> >> 9. Click the OK button.
>>> >> 10. Select your .bkf file when prompted.
>>> >> 11. Click the OK button.
>>> >> 12. Attach the file c:\Test.bin to your response.
>>> >> 13. Report the date, time and size of your .bkf file.
>>> >> 14. Report the date, time and size of your .zip file.
>>> >>
>>> >> Note also that backing up your files before re-installing Windows was
>>> >> a
>>> >> good
>>> >> idea but fell well short of standard data processing practice. If
>>> >> important
>>> >> data is stored on a PC then this data must be backed up to an
>>> >> external
>>> >> medium at regular intervals, e.g. weekly. Not doing this is asking
>>> >> for
>>> >> trouble. A 2.5" disk in an external USB case is a low-cost but highly
>>> >> effective backup medium.
>>> >>
>>> >> sTest = "c:\Test.bin"
>>> >> sFSO = "Scripting.FileSystemObject"
>>> >> sDialog = "UserAccounts.CommonDialog"
>>> >> Set oFSO = CreateObject(sFSO)
>>> >> Set oDialog = CreateObject(sDialog)
>>> >> oDialog.Filter = "All Files|*.bkf"
>>> >> oDialog.InitialDir = "c:\"
>>> >> If oDialog.ShowOpen <> 0 _
>>> >> Then sName = oDialog.FileName _
>>> >> Else WScript.Quit
>>> >> Set oFile = oFSO.OpenTextFile(sName)
>>> >> sData = oFile.Read(10000)
>>> >> oFile.Close
>>> >> Set oFile = oFSO.CreateTextFile(sTest, True)
>>> >> oFile.Write sData
>>> >> oFile.Close
>>> >> MsgBox "10,000 bytes of data written to " & sTest, 0
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>
>