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There are so many users who back up their data using the NTBackup Tool in Windows XP, then clean install/upgrade to Windows 7 or Windows Vista and later realize that Windows 7/Vista do not include the NTBackup Tool to restore the image. Also, Microsoft haven’t released the NT Backup Restore Utility for Windows 7 yet (should be out soon), as they released for Windows Vista. If you have critical data contained in a NTBackup image (.BKF) and want to restore it in Windows 7, then this article is for you.
This article assumes two things:
- You don’t have access to a Windows XP computer to restore the image.
- You don’t want to wait until NT Backup-Restore Utility for Windows 7 is released.
The NTBackup executable runs just fine in Windows Vista and Windows 7, provided that the supporting DLLs (given below) are available in the same folder where NTBackup.exe is present. The two DLL files are:
- ntmsapi.dll
- vssapi.dll
If you run NTBackup.exe without these two modules, these errors would pop-up.
After searching the web, I came across the NTBackup files which were packaged within a .cab file meant for use as Bart PE Plugin.
Restoring a .BKF File Using NTBackup
1. Download nt5backup.cab from Plugins by STSanford.
2. Extract the files inside the cabinet file to a folder of your choice.
3. Run the file NTBackup.exe from the folder.
4. NTBackup will indicate that Removable Storage service (removed in Windows Vista & Windows 7). Never mind! This is only required for tape backups. Click OK.
5. In the Welcome to Backup or Restore Wizard page, click Next
6. Select Restore files and settings, and click Next
7. Click Browse. Locate the .BKF file that you want to restore, and click OK.
8. Expand the catalog, select the files/folders you want to restore, and click Next.
9. Click the Advanced button
10. Select Alternate location from the dropdown, and mention the destination path.
Configure the restore options accordingly.
Click Next, and then click Finish.
Whew! You’ve now restored the contents of NTBackup .BKF file in Windows 7.
This procedure should work in Windows Vista, as well.
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Thank you, thank you thank you! Not only for the procedure itself, which was a relief after I had tried earlier (unsuccessfully) to perform the restore running under the Virtual XP Machine, but for your thorough documentation.
[...] data from backup files created by the Windows XP backup utility. The .bkf files are unrecognized on Windows 7 . Luckily, the old backup utility does work OK under Windows 7 and is still available – no [...]
Thank You to the author of this document.
It worked like a charm. Thanks for the support.
So simple: Why didn’t MS think of it?!!!!!!!!!!!
You rock dude…works like a champ. Can’t believe MS was so blind as to not make the new tool backwards compatible. Program design 101!
This did it! Thanks so much. One note: it hung up when I indicated to place the data into the original file locations, but then tried it again with an alternated location, and it went right into it. A backup that, for some reason, took 9 hours and 10 minutes (over 29Gig) to create on my old XP took maybe 12 minutes to restore on my new Windows 7 machine.
Again, thanks a lot!
thanks man its reale helpd :D
i finished the back up restore but it says that i do not have the correct permissions to access the file location and it won’t let me delete it???????????????????