Restore of backup from DVD

F

felinis

I have a set of backups on DVDs, created in 2005 that I cannot restore. Some
are multi-session (Disk 1, Disk 2, etc.). They contain the backups of
individual video files. The disk lable is "BACKUP" on all of the DVDs.

The problem is that they do not have a .BKF file on them. They only have
one little file - "Readme.txt". This Readme.txt contains the following text:

" ===========
Backup CD
===========

This disc is a backup CD.

Except for this file the contents of this disc must be
accessed using your backup software."

(real helpful huh?)

THERE ARE NO HIDDEN FILES.

The remainder of the 4 GB DVD track is compressed binary except for a brief
listing of the backed-up files and the following metadata header:

...<BACKUP_COMPONENTS xmlns="x-schema:#VssComponentMetadata" version="1.0"
bootableSystemStateBackup="no" selectComponents="no" backupType="full"/>
MWRS....<.......æ.......................7nCòõ.¯A›*L¢C]¿Õ....
<WRITER_METADATA xmlns="x-schema:#VssWriterMetadataInfo" version="1.0">
<IDENTIFICATION writerId="f2436e37-09f5-41af-9b2a-4ca2435dbfd5"
instanceId="3b7276ca-7597-4087-b45f-5ab071efcaa5" friendlyName="Microsoft
Writer (Bootable State)" usage="BOOTABLE_SYSTEM_STATE" dataSource="OTHER"/>
<RESTORE_METHOD method="CUSTOM" writerRestore="never" rebootRequired="yes"/>
<BACKUP_LOCATIONS>
<FILE_GROUP componentName="COM+ Registration Database" caption="COM+
Registration Database" restoreMetadata="yes" notifyOnBackupComplete="no"
selectable="no">
<FILE_LIST
path="%SystemRoot%\Repair\Backup\BootableSystemState\ComRegistrationDatabase"
filespec="*" recursive="yes"/>
</FILE_GROUP>
<EXCLUDE_FILES path="%SystemRoot%\registration" filespec="*.clb"
recursive="no"/>
<EXCLUDE_FILES path="\" filespec="*.crmlog" recursive="yes"/>
<FILE_GROUP componentName="Registry" caption="Registry"
restoreMetadata="yes" notifyOnBackupComplete="no" selectable="no">
<FILE_LIST path="%SystemRoot%\Repair\Backup\BootableSystemState\Registry"
filespec="*" recursive="yes"/>
</FILE_GROUP><EXCLUDE_FILES path="%SystemRoot%\system32\config"
filespec="*.log" recursive="no"/>
<EXCLUDE_FILES path="%SystemRoot%\system32\config" filespec="*.sav"
recursive="no"/>
</BACKUP_LOCATIONS>
</WRITER_METADATA>
MWRS....<...............................ÃJTø..Â¥O°K֔.°2w....
<WRITER_METADATA xmlns="x-schema:#VssWriterMetadataInfo" version="1.0">
<IDENTIFICATION writerId="f8544ac1-0611-4fa5-b04b-f7ee00b03277"
instanceId="1d7858ea-3110-4be4-b4c5-45a8fbd0587b" friendlyName="MSDEWriter"
usage="SYSTEM_SERVICE" dataSource="TRANSACTION_DB"/>
</WRITER_METADATA>
MWRS....<....... .......................<.ŒãûÔMO•Pü¯ÚŠ®š....
<WRITER_METADATA xmlns="x-schema:#VssWriterMetadataInfo" version="1.0">
<IDENTIFICATION writerId="e38c2e3c-d4fb-4f4d-9550-fcafda8aae9a"
instanceId="fa31618b-19a1-4d14-ae26-f25849d02573" friendlyName="Microsoft
Writer (Service State)" usage="SYSTEM_SERVICE" dataSource="OTHER"/>
<RESTORE_METHOD method="CUSTOM" writerRestore="never" rebootRequired="yes"/>
<BACKUP_LOCATIONS><FILE_GROUP componentName="Content Indexing Service"
caption="Content Indexing Service" restoreMetadata="yes"
notifyOnBackupComplete="no" selectable="no"/><EXCLUDE_FILES path="D:\System
Volume Information\catalog.wci" filespec="*" recursive="yes"/><FILE_GROUP
componentName="Config Directory" caption="Config Directory"
restoreMetadata="yes" notifyOnBackupComplete="no" selectable="no"><FILE_LIST
path="%SystemRoot%\Repair\Backup\ServiceState\ConfigDirectory" filespec="*"
recursive="yes"/></FILE_GROUP><EXCLUDE_FILES
path="%SystemRoot%\system32\config" filespec="*" recursive="yes"/><FILE_GROUP
componentName="Event Logs" caption="Event Logs" restoreMetadata="yes"
notifyOnBackupComplete="no" selectable="no"><FILE_LIST
path="%SystemRoot%\Repair\Backup\ServiceState\EventLogs" filespec="*"
recursive="yes"/></FILE_GROUP><EXCLUDE_FILES
path="%SystemRoot%\system32\config" filespec="*.evt"
recursive="no"/></BACKUP_LOCATIONS></WRITER_METADATA>MWRS....<.......|.......................ÂV.¦.µlN».IØô52ð....<WRITER_METADATA
xmlns="x-schema:#VssWriterMetadataInfo" version="1.0">
<IDENTIFICATION writerId="a6ad56c2-b509-4e6c-bb19-49d8f43532f0"
instanceId="a5d81405-111a-4f4c-b761-ed6c1ba2d2ee" friendlyName="WMI Writer"
usage="SYSTEM_SERVICE" dataSource="OTHER"/><BACKUP_LOCATIONS><FILE_GROUP
componentName="WMI" caption="Windows Managment Instrumentation"
restoreMetadata="no" notifyOnBackupComplete="no" selectable="no"><FILE_LIST
path="C:\WINDOWS\system32\WBEM\Repository" filespec="*.*" recursive="yes"/>
</FILE_GROUP></BACKUP_LOCATIONS><RESTORE_METHOD method="REPLACE_AT_REBOOT"
writerRestore="never" rebootRequired="yes"/></WRITER_METADATA>

"Vss" refers to the Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service. Doesn't this make
it an NT backup? Then where is the .BAK file?

I have tried Roxio, Nero, Norton, NTBackup and XP Backup, but all of them
need a named file (.BKF, .NRI, etc) from the DVD to start the restore
process.

Can anyone suggest how I can restore these backed-up files?
 
R

Randall F.

I have a set of backups on DVDs, created in 2005 that I cannot restore. Some
are multi-session (Disk 1, Disk 2, etc.). They contain the backups of
individual video files. The disk lable is "BACKUP" on all of the DVDs.

The problem is that they do not have a .BKF file on them. They only have
one little file - "Readme.txt". This Readme.txt contains the following text:

" ===========
Backup CD
===========

This disc is a backup CD.

Except for this file the contents of this disc must be
accessed using your backup software."

(real helpful huh?)
Click to expand...

The author of the software you used to make the backup probably
thought you'd be smart enough to hang onto it so you could use it to
restore.
 
T

Twayne

I have a set of backups on DVDs, created in 2005 that I cannot
restore. Some are multi-session (Disk 1, Disk 2, etc.). They
contain the backups of individual video files. The disk lable is
"BACKUP" on all of the DVDs.

The problem is that they do not have a .BKF file on them. They only
have one little file - "Readme.txt". This Readme.txt contains the
following text:

" ===========
Backup CD
===========

This disc is a backup CD.

Except for this file the contents of this disc must be
accessed using your backup software."

(real helpful huh?)
Click to expand...

You will need to figure out what was used to back them up with.

....
"Vss" refers to the Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service. Doesn't
this make it an NT backup? Then where is the .BAK file?
Click to expand...

No. VSS is a service that any program can access & use. Many backup
and imaging softwares make use of it.
Can anyone suggest how I can restore these backed-up files?
Click to expand...

Afraid not very likely. The readme does say "your backup software", so
what WAS your backup software on that date? Or is this something you
didn't back up yourself and have no business trying to open? Perhaps
protection is one of the reasons for the vague reference. I know I've
done that sort of thing before.

Twayne
 
F

felinis

:

<Afraid not very likely. The readme does say "your backup software", so
what WAS your backup software on that date? >

XP Backup with Roxio packet-writer driver.

<Or is this something you didn't back up yourself and have no business
trying to open?>

I am not a thief. As I said, these are MY backups of my video work.

To both of you:

I would appreciate some more constructive advice.
Implying that I am a crook and an idiot is not very helpful.
 
S

Shenan Stanley

felinis said:
I have a set of backups on DVDs, created in 2005 that I cannot
restore. Some are multi-session (Disk 1, Disk 2, etc.). They
contain the backups of individual video files. The disk lable is
"BACKUP" on all of the DVDs.

The problem is that they do not have a .BKF file on them. They
only have one little file - "Readme.txt". This Readme.txt contains
the following text:

" ===========
Backup CD
===========

This disc is a backup CD.

Except for this file the contents of this disc must be
accessed using your backup software."

(real helpful huh?)

THERE ARE NO HIDDEN FILES.

The remainder of the 4 GB DVD track is compressed binary except for
a brief listing of the backed-up files and the following metadata
header:
Click to expand...
I have tried Roxio, Nero, Norton, NTBackup and XP Backup, but all
of them need a named file (.BKF, .NRI, etc) from the DVD to start
the restore process.

Can anyone suggest how I can restore these backed-up files?
Click to expand...

At some point in this conversation you have stated you used "XP Backup with
Roxio packet-writer driver" to make this backup. Since Windows XP's native
backup software is NTBackup - is it safe to assume this is what you mean by
"XP Backup"?

As far as I know - NTBackup cannot be used to write to CD/DVD directly.
However - there is some posts and such out there that seem to imply you
could 'cheat' with said packet writing software - but those same things
state that you cannot span multiple CD/DVDs when you do this - so your claim
of multiple DVDs ("a set of backups on DVDs") seems to not be possible using
NTBackup in the way you describe.

Also strange that you mention XP Backup and NT Backup as different things -
which leads me to wonder what XP Backup is when you refer to it.

Essentially - AFAIK - you could only have a Windows XP Backup set on
multiple CD/DVDs if you had created said backup set on larger media in
properly sized chunks and then burned the individual chunks onto multiple
CD/DVDs.

So - what you could now is provide the Operating System and Service Pack
Level you are running the new machine at - to start with.
 

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