Backup Extractor Software

AYes, provided a drive can read the media. Backup Extractor reads the raw tape stream and parses the format written on it, so the original application is not needed. Use Detect Drives to find the tape device, then Scan Tape to build the file list from the media itself.

ALTO Ultrium generations, plus DLT, SDLT, DAT, DDS, AIT, S-AIT, QIC, VXA and Travan media. Tape written in Microsoft Tape Format by NTBackup, Symantec Backup Exec or Veritas NetBackup is read directly, as are TAR, CPIO, PAX and DUMP streams written straight to tape and Hercules virtual tape volumes in AWSTAPE and HET.

AIn most cases the tape is readable and the catalogue is missing. Backup Extractor does not depend on the catalogue. It identifies the format written on the media by signature and rebuilds the file list from the tape, so a lost or corrupt catalogue no longer blocks the restore.

AYes. NTBackup was removed after Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, so Windows 11 has no built in way to open a .bkf. Microsoft does publish a free NTBackup Restore Utility for Windows Server 2008 that many people install on Windows 11. Other guides tell you to extract ntbackup.exe, ntmsapi.dll and vssapi.dll from nt5backup.cab yourself. Both routes work for a healthy file and both are fiddly. Backup Extractor opens a .bkf directly and reports it as Microsoft Tape Format written by Windows NTBackup or Symantec Backup Exec.

AYes. TIB and TIBX are proprietary formats, but the container structure can be parsed directly, so the contents can be listed and extracted without Acronis True Image installed. This is a read only operation and the .tib file itself is never modified. There is a fuller walkthrough on the TIB file extractor page.

AYes. Veeam publishes a free extract utility of its own, which produces raw disk files that then need a second tool to read the filesystem inside them. Backup Extractor goes one step further and parses that filesystem for you, so you can browse the folder tree and pull out individual files in a single pass. VBK, VIB, VRB, VBM and VSB are all supported. There is a fuller walkthrough on the VBK file extractor page.

ALoad it and the tool will tell you. Backup Extractor identifies the format by its binary signature rather than by its file extension, then names both the format and the application that wrote it. A file with the wrong extension or no extension at all is still identified correctly.

ANo. Backup Extractor is a read and extract tool, not an imaging or write blocking product. It reads evidence containers that already exist rather than acquiring new ones and it is priced accordingly. If you need to acquire an image, use a dedicated acquisition tool and then open the result here.

ANo. All access is read only and the source file, image or tape is never written to. Processing happens locally on your own machine and nothing is uploaded to any server.

ADeleted file recovery for FAT and NTFS is available in the Forensic edition only. The Standard and Professional editions list and extract live files but do not reconstruct deleted directory entries or unallocated MFT records.

AYes. Extracted files keep their original folder paths and both their created and modified timestamps. For TAR, CPIO, PAX and DUMP archives the owner, group, UID and GID are read and displayed as well, which matters when the data is going back onto a Linux host.

AIt identifies them but it does not decrypt them. An encrypted container such as an ADCRYPT protected FTK AD1 is detected and reported so you know what you are holding. The same applies to backup archives whose internals are encrypted by the original product. If you have the original key or password, decrypt with the vendor tool first and then open the result here.

ABecause a backup file extractor lists the contents before anything is written out, you only need free disk space for the files you actually tick, not for the whole archive. That is the point of selective extraction when the backup is larger than the disk you have free. Very large archives take longer to scan, so run the free demo on your own file first to see how it behaves.

ABackup Extractor is a read and extract tool, not a repair tool. It reads healthy archives and will recover what it can from a partly damaged one, but it does not rebuild corrupt structures. If the file is corrupt, BitRecover BKF Repair Wizard and Tape Recovery Wizard are built for that job. Try the free demo first, since it will list the contents if the archive is readable.

AThe backup extractor demo opens your file, identifies the format, lists every file and folder inside and lets you inspect the metadata. Export is the one thing it does not do. Activating a licence unlocks extraction in the same build, so you can confirm your archive is readable and see exactly what is in it before you pay anything.

AYes. Every edition is a one time purchase and the licence never expires. Updates and technical support are included for twelve months from the date of purchase. A 30 day money back guarantee applies as set out in the refund policy.