Backup

[Tom]

I recently purchased and installed an external hard drive so I could back up
data. I installed the Window XP Backup program and it does move requested
data to the external hard drive. However, when I try to open it, I get the
message that it cannot open the file because it needs to know the program
that created it. I cannot find anything to work.

The file I am trying to open shows as backup.bkf. Can anybody help?

Thank you.

 

[beb]

You probably need to copy the backup file to the primary hard drive before
you able to click and open it to restore.

 

[Guest]

When the backup files are copied to your external HD, they are archived. So
the only way to access/restore your backup files is through the the same
program you used to back them up; the XP Backup Utility.
Go here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309340/EN-US/
That is a How-To for restoring files using the XP Backup Wizard.

 

[Tom]

Perhaps I either explained myself wrong, or I misunderstand the concept of
the Backup program. I used the "Backup MY Documents and Settings" and it
backed all of them to the external HD correctly. I realize I can restore the
total backup, but suppose I just wanted to restore one folder like My
Pictures. I assumed by opening the "Backup" Icon on my external HD, I could
just find the folder I needed and either amend it or restore it accordingly.
That is my problem. I cannot open the .bkf file that has all my information.

Tom Gibbons

When the backup files are copied to your external HD, they are archived. So
the only way to access/restore your backup files is through the the same
program you used to back them up; the XP Backup Utility.
Go here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309340/EN-US/
That is a How-To for restoring files using the XP Backup Wizard.

 

[Z]

You probably need to copy the backup file to the primary hard drive before
you able to click and open it to restore.

No, that's not necessary. For some reason, the file association has not
been made between .bkf and Windows Backup File.

Perhaps the "installation" of Windows Backup was incomplete or in error?

 

[Z]

Perhaps I either explained myself wrong, or I misunderstand the concept of
the Backup program. I used the "Backup MY Documents and Settings" and it
backed all of them to the external HD correctly. I realize I can restore the
total backup, but suppose I just wanted to restore one folder like My
Pictures. I assumed by opening the "Backup" Icon on my external HD, I could
just find the folder I needed and either amend it or restore it accordingly.
That is my problem. I cannot open the .bkf file that has all my information.

Double clicking on the .bkf in Windows Explorer should launch the
Windows Backup Utility.

Windows Explorer > Tools > Folder Options > File Types

Is .BKF listed under the Extensions column? If so, what's do you see
under the File Types column for .BKF?

 

[Rock]

Perhaps I either explained myself wrong, or I misunderstand the concept of
the Backup program. I used the "Backup MY Documents and Settings" and it
backed all of them to the external HD correctly. I realize I can restore the
total backup, but suppose I just wanted to restore one folder like My
Pictures. I assumed by opening the "Backup" Icon on my external HD, I could
just find the folder I needed and either amend it or restore it accordingly.
That is my problem. I cannot open the .bkf file that has all my information.

Tom Gibbons

When the backup files are copied to your external HD, they are archived. So
the only way to access/restore your backup files is through the the same
program you used to back them up; the XP Backup Utility.
Go here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309340/EN-US/
That is a How-To for restoring files using the XP Backup Wizard.

:

Tom, you run ntbackup from start | All Programs | Accessories | System
Tools | Backup. In there click on Restore and Manage Media. Locate the
backup file, expand it, and click on the folder you want to restore.

 

[Tom]

In my "G" drive (external HD) BKF (with no icon) is listed under the
Extension column and under the file types it shows "Windows Backup File"

My problem is not .bkf on my "C" drive which opens okay. My problem is when
I try to open the backed up file with a .bkf extension on my "G" drive. I
can restore any file within the Backup.bkf, but I cannot just open an
individual file to modify.

Tom

Perhaps I either explained myself wrong, or I misunderstand the concept of
the Backup program. I used the "Backup MY Documents and Settings" and it
backed all of them to the external HD correctly. I realize I can restore
the
total backup, but suppose I just wanted to restore one folder like My
Pictures. I assumed by opening the "Backup" Icon on my external HD, I
could
just find the folder I needed and either amend it or restore it
accordingly.
That is my problem. I cannot open the .bkf file that has all my
information.

Double clicking on the .bkf in Windows Explorer should launch the
Windows Backup Utility.

Windows Explorer > Tools > Folder Options > File Types

Is .BKF listed under the Extensions column? If so, what's do you see
under the File Types column for .BKF?

 

[Stan Brown]

I recently purchased and installed an external hard drive so I could back up
data. I installed the Window XP Backup program and it does move requested
data to the external hard drive. However, when I try to open it, I get the
message that it cannot open the file because it needs to know the program
that created it. I cannot find anything to work.

The file I am trying to open shows as backup.bkf. Can anybody help?

Others have addressed your stated problem. But are you aware that NT
Backup doesn't actually back up everything? In particular, it doesn't
back up the Registry or any other open files. For that you need an
imaging program.

You can _somewhat_ reduce the problem by using ERUNT [1] before NT
Backup. That will at least back up the Registry, though any other
open files will still be skipped.

[1] http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/index.htm
or
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download1267.html

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com/
"What in heaven's name brought you to Casablanca?"
"My health. I came to Casablanca for the waters."
"The waters? What waters? We're in the desert."
"I was misinformed."

 

[Z]

Others have addressed your stated problem. But are you aware that NT
Backup doesn't actually back up everything? In particular, it doesn't
back up the Registry or any other open files. For that you need an
imaging program.

You can _somewhat_ reduce the problem by using ERUNT [1] before NT
Backup. That will at least back up the Registry, though any other
open files will still be skipped.

Checking System State will include the registry in the backup and, re:
open files not being backed up :

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/expert/crawford_02april02.mspx

....
Windows XP Backup, by default, creates a volume shadow copy of the
volume being backed up. A volume shadow copy is a picture of the volume
at a particular moment in time. That means a computer can be backed up
while files are open and applications running. Files are not skipped
during backup and you don't need to schedule backups when the computers
on your network aren't being used. The volume shadow copy service allows
applications to continue running uninterrupted on the actual volumes
while a shadow copy is made. After the backup is completed, the shadow
copy is deleted.
....

 

[Lil' Dave]

Are you saying you're trying to open an individual file from the backup, and
modify that file while in memory?
If so, restore the file to a temp location, then open it for modification.

 

[Stan Brown]

Others have addressed your stated problem. But are you aware that NT
Backup doesn't actually back up everything? In particular, it doesn't
back up the Registry or any other open files.

Checking System State will include the registry in the backup and, re:
open files not being backed up :

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/expert/crawford_02april02.mspx

...
Windows XP Backup, by default, creates a volume shadow copy of the
volume being backed up.[/QUOTE]

First, I seem to be wrong about backups of NTFS systems, and I'm
grateful for the correction. I think there's still a question about
FAT32 systems, though.

The article that you cite says, "By default, Windows XP Professional
uses available space on any NTFS volume to store a record of the
differences between the original volume and the shadow copy volume.
If enough disk space isn't available, Windows XP Professional won't
be able to make a volume shadow copy and Backup skips open files."

That seems to mean that open files are skipped if your system has
only FAT32 partitions. Can anyone shed further light?

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com/
"To put it bluntly but fairly, anyone today who doubts that the
variety of life on this planet was produced by a process of
evolution is simply ignorant -- inexcusably ignorant, in a world
where three out of four people have learned to read and write."
--Daniel Dennett, /Darwin's Dangerous Idea/ (1995), page 46

 

[Z]

That seems to mean that open files are skipped if your system has
only FAT32 partitions. Can anyone shed further light?

Good point and good question ... I make the mistake of assuming that
everyone with XP is using NTFS.