Extracting Corrupt BKF File from a CD or DVD

Windows NTBackup utility is the backup system included in Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 operating systems. Originally, NTBackup has been designed to create and store scheduled as well as automated data backup to storage media like, Zip drives, floppy disks, and tape. But a third-party add-on called Firestreamer-RM extends its capability and makes it support various other storage media, including but not limited to CDs and DVDs. NTBackup files (BKF files) stored on these media are often observed as corrupt at the time of restoration. There are many user reports that state the corruption of BKF file, detected when the file was stored on a CD. Such circumstances necessitate the use of a well-designed MS BKF Repair Tool.

The above problem will be more clear by a corresponding real-time issue, described further. Consider a case of Windows user who uses Windows NTBackup utility to backup few important files on a CD. The files are critical and are required for a business deal. The user then deletes the original files from the computer to solve some system-related concerns and expects to restore them using the CD stored backup. However, when he/she tries to restore the BKF file, it seems to be inconsistent. Each time, when he/she attempts to restore the BKF file, it prompts the following or a similar error message on screen:

“The backup file contains unrecognized data and cannot be used.”

Note: With the creation of each BKF file, NTBackup creates a log file in NTBackup data folder that among other information, consists of the status of backup process. To prevent such problems, make sure that you check the consistency of your backup file after performing the backup itself.

Data Retrieval:
To retrieve the lost data, you can either use another copy of your lost files and folders, if available. If no such copy exists, you need to use a third-party Backup Repair Tool to repair and restore corrupted BKF file content. A MS BKF Repair Tool can scan corrupted NTBackup file and repair it while retaining its original integrity.

BKF File Corruption: Reasons and Solution

Nothing can be more frustrating than an inability to restore data despite having a good backup plan. There have been many instances, in which users report that they find it unable to restore data with the BKF file created by NTBackup.exe utility. Unlike your expectations, Windows backup utility might fail to offer data restoration because of a corrupted BKF file. When you try to restore using BKF repair tool, an error message may appear suggesting that the file has gone corrupted. Below are some typical reasons that are often found responsible for BKF file corruption:

BKF file format was designed long time back, but not with the specific purpose of storing high amount of data that we need today. Thus, it is recommended to keep the file as small as possible. A large BKF file is prone to corruption.

Users, more specifically home users, opt for low-priced backup storage devices (like, USB, FireWire devices, etc.) without caring for their reliability. As a result, the backup media can record faulty data that have been transmitted to them (even if transmitter from a reliable hard disk). This issue is the prime case of single bit errors in NTBackup BKF file.

Being removable, a backup storage media is susceptible to virus infection. These media are frequently used and accessed on computers that might be infected from fatal viruses and have potency to corrupt the BKF file. So, scan your computer for viruses before inserting the backup storage media.

Events like unexpected power outage are also known to cause BKF file corruption. While interrupting the data writes, power failure can render your BKF unrecognizable in Windows.

You have two main options to deal with such problems. Either you can use another copy of lost files and folders to restore data or you can use a MS Backup Repair Tool to repair BKF file. You can find many third-party utilities on the internet, that might help you to restore lost data from corrupted BKF file created by MS Backup Tool

Recovering BKF file in case of missing catalog files

The NTBackup utility is used to create backups in the Windows operating systems such as Windows Server 2003, XP, and 2000. It is particularly helpful when your system is somewhat unreliable and you fear that it may crash anytime. The backup is created in the form of BKF files. However, at times the bkf files can get corrupt due to various reasons such as human errors, virus infections, power surges, incomplete data backup process, missing catalog files, etc. To overcome such situations, you should take appropriate corrective measures. However, sometimes these measures are not adequate. In such cases, you should use a third-party BKF repair tool to repair BKF file.

Consider a scenario wherein you took concurrent backups of several locations simultaneously. When you wanted to restore the file from back up of the data, you were unable to do so. You were not able to view the catalog files in the Restore tab. These catalog files enable NTBackup to restore backed up data from the BKF file. This is apart from the fact that the backup operations are completed without displaying any error message. But when you try to restore the backup, an error message is displayed, which can be any of the following messages:

The backup file contains unrecognized data and cannot be used.
The backup file is unusable. You must erase it, or choose another file.
An inconsistency was encountered on the requested media.

Cause:
The main cause of the problem is that the BKF file has become corrupt due to any of the aforementioned reasons. One of the reasons can be that there are missing catalog files of the backed up data. The catalog files are stored at the following location in your system:

%SystemRoot%\Documents and Settings\Account\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows NT\NTBackup\catalogs

What happens is that when you create more than one backup simultaneously, the catalog files share identical timestamp attribute. In this case, the backup set that was attributed first was displayed in the Restore tab and other backups were sometimes not displayed in the list. Because of this, the BKF file got corrupt and you had to perform BKF recovery to repair BKF file. This should be done using a third-party BKF repair application. Such read-only tools employ fast yet sophisticated algorithms to scan the damaged area.

Error Copying Windows BKF File from CD

Windows NTBackup is a built-in command-line utility of Windows operating system that can be used to backup files to different storage media like, CDs, DVDs, ZIP drives, tapes, and others. But many times, this is observed that storage media problems often corrupt the BKF files created by NTBackup program. So even if you verify the backup, further media malfunctions can cause damage to the file. In such cases, data recovery is possible only if you have another backup to restore or apply a BKF Repair tool that can repair the file.

As an instance of these problems, let's consider a scenario in which you create a BKF file on a CD using Windows XP NTBackup application. For avoiding any further problems, you verify the backup and expect it to work at the time of restoration. After a major data loss event, when you try to restore data from the CD stored BKF file, it behaves contrary to your assumptions and shows file corruption symptoms.

Further, when you try to copy the same BKF file from the CD to your hard disk, it pops up another error message that reads:

“Error copying file or folder
Cannot copy backup_file_name.bkf : Data error (cyclic redundancy check)”

Explanation
CRC or Cyclic Redundancy Check is a bit, which is used to ensure the integrity of data in a file when it is being transferred. It is a typical check procedure that can determine whether or not the data has been damaged. CRC errors usually indicate that the file being read by the computer is corrupted.

Note: Apart from software issues, the above error can result if the CD being accessed is damaged.

User Action
To restore the lost data, check for an alternative source. If available and valid, use this source to regain the lost data and discard the corrupted file. However, if no other solution is available, use a third-party BKF Repair Tool to diagnose and repair corrupted Windows backup file. BKF Repair programs are user-friendly applications that facilitate easy and efficient BKF file repair using high end procedures, while keeping the original data intact.

Recovering corrupted BKF file from external hard disk

I guess you must have faced loss of your precious data sometime or the other. And you would definitely agree that it is really frustrating to lose your data, which you may have maintained for years. Probably things would have been in better shape had you backed up your data. For this purpose, the Windows (2000, XP, and Server 2003) users have the option to backup the data using the in-built NTBackup utility. It saves the backup in the form of .bkf files and can backup from the tape, ZIP drives, floppy disks, and hard drives. However, these BKF files too can get corrupted because of virus infections, power outages, human errors, CRC errors, etc. In such cases, you should check if the original data is available. If yes, then you can create the backup again. However, if you do not have the data with you then you should use a third-party BKF repair tool to repair BKF file.

Consider a scenario wherein you have a hard drive that has just gone dead. You replaced the hard drive with a new one. You used to backup all your data in an external hard disk using incremental backup mode. Now, when you try to use that backup to restore lost data you are unable to do so. An error message is displayed:

“The data file contains unrecognized data and cannot be used.”

The error message clearly suggests that the BKF file is inaccessible.

Cause:
The root cause of this issue is that the BKF file is corrupt. It may have gone corrupt because of the aforementioned reasons.

Resolution:
Now that you do not have the original data with you, the only thing that you can do in such situation is to use a third-party BKF recovery tool to repair BKF file. These read-only tools are highly interactive, and use fast yet sophisticated algorithms to scan the damaged area.

Restoring BKF file in Windows 7

With the technical advancements, we are opting for better computer systems and operating systems. That is precisely why, we switch to technologies that are sophisticated yet simple to understand and use. Following similar pattern is Windows 7, which is graphically advanced and very robust as compared to its predecessors. Because of this, the users of older Windows operating systems such as Windows XP, 2003 Server, etc have migrated to Windows 7. The users of Windows XP and earlier versions can backup their data using NTBackup utility, which backs up data in the form of BKF files.

However, when you restore BKF files in Windows 7 (or Server 2008) you are not able to do it. The reason for this is that Windows NTBackup utility has been discontinued in Windows 7. So, the BKF files are not recognized in Windows 7. Hence, these backup files are of no use in Windows 7, since you are not able to restore data with them.

However, there is a way-out for Windows 7 users. Windows has provided NTBackup – Restore Utility that is used to restore the backups that were created in Windows XP and earlier versions. You can also download it from the following links:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=7da725e2-8b69-4c65-afa3-2a53107d54a7&DisplayLang=en

Consider a scenario wherein you have switched from Windows XP to Windows 7. You have taken a backup of all your data using NTBackup. When you try to restore the BKF file in Windows 7, you are unable to do it, even though you have downloaded the NTBackup – Restore Utility.

Cause:
There could be two reasons for this situation.

• The NTBackup – Restore Utility feature is not enabled in the system. For those who do not know, this feature is disabled by default.
• The BKF file is corrupted and you need to repair BKF file using a BKF repair tool.

Resolution:
To overcome the first situation, you need to enable NTBackup – Restore Utility feature. This can be done by following the underwritten steps:

• Open “Programs” by selecting Start | Control Panel | Programs.
• Click “Turn Windows Features on or off”.
• Provide the password, if prompted.
• Select the Removable Storage Management check box.
• Click OK.

In the second case, try to restore the BKF file by accessing Ntbackup-RestoreUtility from Start menu -> All Programs. However, if you are still not able to restore it, chances are, that the BKF file is corrupt. In this case, you should use BKF recovery tool to be able to restore it.

NTBackup Cannot Detect Windows XP Backup File Corruption

Performing a scheduled data backup is one of the best practices against an unexpected data loss. NTBackup, the Windows built-in backup utility, helps Windows users in this respect by offering some advanced features like no other utility can. This tool is a part of Windows versions like, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 and creates BKF files, which store all the required valuable files and folders. After you run a backup schedule using NTBackup, it is recommended to run a verification pass to determine the validity of your backup. However, due to some limitations of NTBackup utility, sometimes the BKF file corruption might go undetected. Consequently, when you try to restore the data from backup, it might report errors indicating that the BKF file is corrupted. Since there is no Windows utility to repair such corrupted files, the only solution to extract data from them is to use a BKF Repair tool.

Before explaining the method that NTBackup employs to check the integrity of BKF files during verification pass, let's first consider a realistic situation in which such problems can occur. Suppose you are a Windows XP user who uses NTBackup utility to create backup of relevant files. As a precaution measure of file corruption, you run the verification pass by NTBackup and it reports the BKF file fine.
A data loss event occurs and you have no alternative other than the BKF file to restore files. But contrary to your expectations, BKF cannot be restored. On trying to open the file, it gives the below or similar error message indicating file corruption:
“The backup file is unusable”
Reason of this behavior
NTBackup implements checksum comparison method using word-wise XOR operation (eXclusive OR) to find out the reason for corruption in BKF file. It fails to detect file corruption if corruption exists at the same location in a word and the number of times it occurs is even. As a result, when you try to restore a BKF file, although it has passed verification by NTBackup, it is reported as corrupt.
Solution
Use a third-party tool to Repair BKF File. These are exclusive BKF Repair applications available for scanning and repairing a corrupted Windows NTBackup BKF file, irrespective of the cause of corruption.

BKF Corrupted: ASR Restore Procedure Failed

Microsoft has always vied to provide its customers with innovative and user friendly technology. In tune with the same, Windows XP and its later versions include a feature called ASR or Automated System Recovery that can be used to simplify the recovery procedure of boot and system volumes of computer. ASR is simply an extension of a conventional backup and restore tool in Windows XP, which only backs up data that is essential for restoring the system configuration and not the other user data. When dealing with ASR, it is essential that user ensure that their BKF file doesn't reside on the system or boot volume. Ignoring this can bring serious consequences and even corrupt the backup file. In such situations, there is no option left but to use an BKF repair tool.

For further clarification, let's consider a realistic scenario of Windows XP Professional computer. Suppose you create a BKF file when performing an ASR backup for storing all the essential data for any future restoration needs. You select the primary drive, which is usually C, as the destination drive to store this BKF file.

After this, an accidental file deletion or a similar data loss event occurs and you want to restore the data from your BKF file. But when you run ASR restore procedure to get back this data, it cannot be proceeded and you receive an error message suggesting that the backup file is corrupt.

Cause:
Windows backup file itself is corrupted. As mentioned earlier, this occurs because, you choose system or boot drive for BKF file, which is partitioned during ASR procedure. Repartitioning the system and boot volume can lead to corruption of backup file which ultimately results in failure of ASR restore procedure.

Solution:
To avoid such issues from occurring, you should not store the BKF file on a system or boot volume before running ASR.

However, to extract data from a corrupted BKF file, you need a third-party Backup Repair Tool. These are exclusive programs built to repair BKF File created by Windows backup utility to restore its contents to a safe location. A MS Backup Repair Tool can be run with few simple steps without any aid or technical skills.

Recovering corrupt BKF file after system crash

The advancing technology has gifted us tremendous storage capacity. To fulfill their data storage requirements, people today are relying heavily on hard disks with storage space of more than 1 TB. Infact, we have external storage devices as well, to save our data. With so much space at our disposal, we take extra precautions of safeguarding our data against various threats. For this, Windows users have the option of using NTBackup, which is a backup utility in Windows NT (2003 Server, XP, 2000) systems. NTBackup backs up the data in the form of BKF files. However, sometimes the BKF files can get corrupt. It may be due to sudden system crash while backing up, CRC errors, missing catalog files, etc. In this case of BKF file corruption, you should use a BKF repair tool to perform BKF recovery.

Consider a scenario wherein you are adding data to a BKF file in the Incremental mode when there is an abrupt system shutdown. When the power is restored, you try to open the BKF file but are unable to do so.

Cause:
You are not able to open the BKF file to restore data because it got corrupt. Corruption of BKF file occurs due to abrupt shut down of the system, when the process of data backup was in progress. Because of this, the BKF file is now inaccessible and cannot be used to restore the data.

Resolution:
If you do have the data for which you were creating a backup, then you can execute the NTBackup utility again to create a fresh backup. Windows does not provide you the option to repair BKF file. So, as a last resort, you need to consider using a third-party BKF repair tool to recover the corrupt BKF file. These tools employ fast but sophisticated algorithms to scan the damaged area to successfully repair BKF file. These read-only tools are highly interactive and do not require the user to be highly technically sound.

How to repair the BKF files corrupted due to interrupted backup process?

I believe most of you must have faced the stress that the threat of data loss can pose to us. We work comprehensively to gather all kinds of data, be it official documents, photos, music files, or any other kind of files. That is why, it is important to safeguard the data that you have procured over time. For this purpose, Microsoft has provided the Windows users with the NTBackup utility. This utility is used to take the backup of the important files in the form of .bkf files. In case, something happens to the original files you can always retrieve the .bkf files. However, as you know nothing is perfect in this world. The .bkf files can also get corrupt for various reasons such as damaged operating system, virus infections, or the .bkf file getting corrupt because of backup interruption, etc. To repair .bkf file, you need to use the BKF Repair tool.

Consider a scenario wherein you are the system administrator in your organization. You have been given the responsibility to routinely take the backup of all the systems. You took the backup of the systems over the network. Due to some inconsistency in the network connection when you are trying to restore the systems, an error is displayed.
"An inconsistency was encountered in the requested backup file"

Cause:
The main cause for this error could be that the .bkf file was not created successfully over the network. Because of this, the .bkf file may have got damaged and thus, unable to restore the data.

Resolution:
If you find out that the backup file is not created successfully so before losing out the original data, create the backup of the data using the NTBackup utility as soon as possible. However, if you are still facing this problem, then you need to perform the BKF repair on the corrupted .bkf file.
To recover the .bkf file, you will have to use a powerful and efficient bkf recovery tool. These tools are well-designed to scan the .bkf file using effective algorithms to retrieve as much data as possible.

Repair BKF File Corrupted in Hex Editor?

A binary hex editor is a program that allows you to view, edit, and manipulate binary data files and compiled programs. These programs can be used to edit raw contents of file in hexadecimal format. However, the common purposes of using these hex editors is to remove copy protection of file, edit games, perform file testing and similar operations, but if someone uses it for data destruction (sabotage intentions), serious data loss can occur. Hex editing done to a NTBackup BKF file can corrupt its file structure, while making it difficult to restore the data from the file. In such situations BKF Repair Tool can only be used.

Several Hex Editors are available as freeware in the market, which makes it easy for a person to corrupt the BKF file of another user. Consider a scenario of BKF file corruption. Suppose your Windows computer, which stores important BKF file on an external hard disk, has been used by several users. And, one of the users, with the intention of sabotaging logs into your computer and opens your BKF file in a hex-editor. He/she makes some destructing changes in the header of BKF file, which makes the file inaccessible to the user.

Before you could detect this corruption, you lose one or more of your important files. Expecting that these files can be restored from BKF file, when you try to open the BKF file, it doesn't work. On each attempt of opening the BKF file, it shows a file corruption error.

Repair BKF File
Since the BKF file header has been corrupted in hex-editor, you can try re-opening it and editing the file to reverse the changes. However, always backup your file before doing such operations.

But if you are not able to deal with hexadecimal values of a file, you should use a BKF Repair utility to restore the file contents. A MS Backup Repair Tool can scan a corrupted BKF file, irrespective of the cause, and can extract the data to a secure location.

Operating System Crash Results in BKF File Corruption

Are you encountering an unrecognized media error message or any other Backup file error message while trying to open your BKF file? Are you unable to restore data from your BKF file due to a CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) error message? Is your BKF file in an unreadable format? In case you are encountering any of the above questions, then you might be in deep trouble. The primary cause for all the above situations is corruption of BKF file due to operating system crash, file system damage, header corruption, virus attack, and human errors. The data saved in the BKF file becomes unreadable when the file is corrupted/damaged. To surmount all the BKF file corruption scenarios, a Windows user can restore BKF file from an alternative backup, mostly saved on a different storage media. However, in the absence of an alternative backup, the user needs to use an advanced repair BKF file utility.

To elaborate the above problem, consider a practical case, wherein, you restore data from your BKF file. However, during restoration, the operating system crashes due to power outage. The next time you boot your system and try to access the BKF file, you encounter the below error message:
“There is no information contained in the file.”
The same error message flashes on the screen each time you try to access your BKF file. Moreover, this error message makes the data saved in your BKF file inaccessible.

Cause:
The above BKF error message appears when the file gets corrupted. The cause of corruption in this case is power outage.

Resolution:
Follow the below guidelines to access the data saved in the BKF file.
1.Use an alternate BKF file backup and restore your data.
2.But in case, no alternate backup is maintained, then you will need to use a high-quality BKF File Repair application. Such repair utilities employ influential repair techniques to repair logically corrupted BKF file. Such BKF repair tools are furnished with intuitive interface, which makes them easy to understand.