Help w/Restore! The backup file contains unrecognized data message

[Guest]

I need some HELP!!!
I backed up My Documents folder to an USB external HD using the Windows XP
Pro Backup Utility. Yesterday I did a clean restore of windows XP Pro. I've
been trying to restore the My Documents folder but I keep on getting the
following message: The backup file contains unrecognized data and cannot be
used.
This is really getting me mad. I have already spend at least 4 hours trying
to recover my documents folder. I don't want to spend $150 bucks to restore
my data. How come I'm getting this message?
Any ideas???

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

In

I need some HELP!!!
I backed up My Documents folder to an USB external HD using the
Windows XP Pro Backup Utility. Yesterday I did a clean restore of
windows XP Pro. I've been trying to restore the My Documents folder
but I keep on getting the following message: The backup file contains
unrecognized data and cannot be used.
This is really getting me mad. I have already spend at least 4 hours
trying to recover my documents folder. I don't want to spend $150
bucks to restore my data. How come I'm getting this message?
Any ideas???

When you did the backup, did you ask it to verify the data? Did you
subsequently check to see whether the backup was good, using NTBackup and
trying a test restore?

 

[DatabaseBen]

Restore has different meanings

Can you explain a bit more of your restore method?

 

[Guest]

Yes to the verification and no to the test. The reason I didn't run a test is
because I had restore some other files from a different back up to this unit.
Thanks for your reply.

 

[Guest]

uuuummmm.... what exactly do you mean?!?!?!?
All I'm trying to do is a simple restore from an external HD to my PC using
the MS Backup Utility program which I have used to do the backup to the
external HD? What type of explanation do you need? Let me know and I'll be
more than happy to explain it. Thanks for your reply!

 

[DatabaseBen]

ok,
you restored a "backup" file.

yeh, restoring can be done via restore check points
or restoring an o.s. via cd, etc.....

let me ponder on this a bit more.

 

[Guest]

OK... so, to clarify... when I run the backup utility program it created a
file.bkf on my external HD. It was a normal restore I took all the defaults
on the backup. So, I get the above mention error when I try to run the
restore MS Backup Utility. Is as simple as 123. I'm not doing anything out of
the ordinary with the backup or the restore.
Thanks for your help/reply.

 

[Ayush]

Open ntbackup program > Click on Restore and manage media tab > Select your
restore file > There will be a drop-down menu "Restore files to", change
that to "Alternate location" then choose a different location. If
successfull, just copy the files from the alternate location to the
original.

If the backup is Appended backup, there will be two or more backups in the
file. Try to restore each separately.


Ayush [ Be ''?'' Happy ]

For any query, search > www.Google.com
Want to know about a term > http://en.wikipedia.org


: OK... so, to clarify... when I run the backup utility program it created
a
: file.bkf on my external HD. It was a normal restore I took all the
defaults
: on the backup. So, I get the above mention error when I try to run the
: restore MS Backup Utility. Is as simple as 123. I'm not doing anything
out of
: the ordinary with the backup or the restore.
: Thanks for your help/reply.
:
: "DatabaseBen" wrote:
:
: > ok,
: > you restored a "backup" file.
: >
: > yeh, restoring can be done via restore check points
: > or restoring an o.s. via cd, etc.....
: >
: > let me ponder on this a bit more.
: >
: >
: > : > > uuuummmm.... what exactly do you mean?!?!?!?
: > > All I'm trying to do is a simple restore from an external HD to my PC
: > > using
: > > the MS Backup Utility program which I have used to do the backup to
the
: > > external HD? What type of explanation do you need? Let me know and
I'll be
: > > more than happy to explain it. Thanks for your reply!
: > >
: > > "DatabaseBen" wrote:
: > >
: > >> Restore has different meanings
: > >>
: > >> Can you explain a bit more of your restore method?
: > >>
: > >>
: > >> : > >> >I need some HELP!!!
: > >> > I backed up My Documents folder to an USB external HD using the
Windows
: > >> > XP
: > >> > Pro Backup Utility. Yesterday I did a clean restore of windows XP
Pro.
: > >> > I've
: > >> > been trying to restore the My Documents folder but I keep on
getting
: > >> > the
: > >> > following message: The backup file contains unrecognized data and
: > >> > cannot
: > >> > be
: > >> > used.
: > >> > This is really getting me mad. I have already spend at least 4
hours
: > >> > trying
: > >> > to recover my documents folder. I don't want to spend $150 bucks
to
: > >> > restore
: > >> > my data. How come I'm getting this message?
: > >> > Any ideas???
: > >> >
: > >>
: > >>
: > >>
: >
: >
: >

 

[DatabaseBen]

when you say clean restore of the o.s.
would i be presuming you mean clean install
of the o.s. via your cd?

Did you reformat the hd
as well or was this option skipped?

could you please verify the accuracy
of my interpretation above.

 

[DatabaseBen]

one possible option could be
if you can copy that bkf file onto
your hd from the usb,

then attempt to restore that file
from a location on the hd to your
documents folder..

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

In

Yes to the verification and no to the test. The reason I didn't run a
test is because I had restore some other files from a different back
up to this unit. Thanks for your reply.

I'm not sure what you mean by that, exactly. It's always a good idea to do
test restores to make sure you've got a good backup....perhaps some of the
other replies will get you back up and running. But in the future, do a test
restore (to a different location) before wiping out the originals

 

[Guest]

LOL!!! I'm sorry but this is really funny... Ayush, I have tried every option
within the MS Backup utility option. I'm not a novice when it comes down to
computers but I have not been able to get this fix. Thanks for the reply...

Open ntbackup program > Click on Restore and manage media tab > Select your
restore file > There will be a drop-down menu "Restore files to", change
that to "Alternate location" then choose a different location. If
successfull, just copy the files from the alternate location to the
original.

If the backup is Appended backup, there will be two or more backups in the
file. Try to restore each separately.


Ayush [ Be ''?'' Happy ]

For any query, search > www.Google.com
Want to know about a term > http://en.wikipedia.org


: OK... so, to clarify... when I run the backup utility program it created
a
: file.bkf on my external HD. It was a normal restore I took all the
defaults
: on the backup. So, I get the above mention error when I try to run the
: restore MS Backup Utility. Is as simple as 123. I'm not doing anything
out of
: the ordinary with the backup or the restore.
: Thanks for your help/reply.
:
: "DatabaseBen" wrote:
:
: > ok,
: > you restored a "backup" file.
: >
: > yeh, restoring can be done via restore check points
: > or restoring an o.s. via cd, etc.....
: >
: > let me ponder on this a bit more.
: >
: >
: > : > > uuuummmm.... what exactly do you mean?!?!?!?
: > > All I'm trying to do is a simple restore from an external HD to my PC
: > > using
: > > the MS Backup Utility program which I have used to do the backup to
the
: > > external HD? What type of explanation do you need? Let me know and
I'll be
: > > more than happy to explain it. Thanks for your reply!
: > >
: > > "DatabaseBen" wrote:
: > >
: > >> Restore has different meanings
: > >>
: > >> Can you explain a bit more of your restore method?
: > >>
: > >>
: > >> : > >> >I need some HELP!!!
: > >> > I backed up My Documents folder to an USB external HD using the
Windows
: > >> > XP
: > >> > Pro Backup Utility. Yesterday I did a clean restore of windows XP
Pro.
: > >> > I've
: > >> > been trying to restore the My Documents folder but I keep on
getting
: > >> > the
: > >> > following message: The backup file contains unrecognized data and
: > >> > cannot
: > >> > be
: > >> > used.
: > >> > This is really getting me mad. I have already spend at least 4
hours
: > >> > trying
: > >> > to recover my documents folder. I don't want to spend $150 bucks
to
: > >> > restore
: > >> > my data. How come I'm getting this message?
: > >> > Any ideas???
: > >> >
: > >>
: > >>
: > >>
: >
: >
: >

 

[Guest]

It was a clean install. The HD was Partition, reformat, etc... and the oper
sys was reinstall using the CD.

 

[Guest]

Sorry, done that...
I have also try to restore it using the command prompt and no go. Another
thing that I have already try is renaming the file. I also notice that for
whatever reason the file shows as been over 4gb! But if I understand the MS
Backup file documentation you can only backup 4gb or less to a FAT32 device.
In my case the external HD is formatted as FAT32. So, I went ahead and
compress the file and it went down to less than 4gb. After this I went ahead
and try to restore it but again it was a no go... Thanks for you help/info.

 

[DatabaseBen]

ok,
so the usb is fat32 format
and the hd is formatted ntfs?

 

[Guest]

Correct!

 

[DatabaseBen]

ok!
problem is due
to having 2 different formats.

however, the other pending
question is if the backup file itself
is corrupt.

have you tried to connect the usb
to another pc with the same o.s. and
format? If this works, then you simply
expand your doc's onto a cd and transfer
them to your ntfs hd via copy.

the other possibility is to
do a clean install of your pc
again and reformat like your usb.
if you can expand your doc's
back into your o.s. then great.

if not well.....?? not much left.

but if successful and have your o.s.
and my doc's the way you need it
to be, then you can use the dos command
convert and convert your hd to ntfs without
reinstalling the o.s.

"then" forget about using the backup program
"forever" and use disk imaging or the synctoy
in the future.....

 

[Guest]

Hey databaseben, thanks for the information.
I got this resolve. A frind of mine lend me a software package and that
allowed me to recover all my files/docs.
I did try a different PC but that didn't work. Another thing, you mention to
reformat the PC as a FAT32 file system. I don't think this would have work.
The reason been that I had another backup file, file.bkf, on the same
external unit and that file restore just fine with out any problems.
Thanks again for your help and yes, now I won't be using the pice of crap MS
Backup Utility. I just wasted way too many hours because of this. I should be
sendind a bill to Bill Gates for this. LOL!!!

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Hey databaseben, thanks for the information.

In this case, it was misinformation. There is no problem at all having two
different file systems. Windows can use NTFS and FAT32 simultaneously and
can copy files back and forth between them with no problems at all.

In fact, Windows XP can see and use NTFS, FAT12, FAT16, and FAT32 in any and
all combinations, regardless of what file system it itself is installed on.

 

[DatabaseBen]

thats great.
btw - what software did you use?

Hey databaseben, thanks for the information.
I got this resolve. A frind of mine lend me a software package and that
allowed me to recover all my files/docs.
I did try a different PC but that didn't work. Another thing, you mention
to
reformat the PC as a FAT32 file system. I don't think this would have
work.
The reason been that I had another backup file, file.bkf, on the same
external unit and that file restore just fine with out any problems.
Thanks again for your help and yes, now I won't be using the pice of crap
MS
Backup Utility. I just wasted way too many hours because of this. I should
be
sendind a bill to Bill Gates for this. LOL!!!