BleepingComputer.com: can I extract single files from a backup?

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can I extract single files from a backup?

#1 brionbastian

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Posted 11 July 2004 - 09:59 AM

I need to extract single files from a windows backup file (*.dat) without unpacking the whole backup file. I have been told that such a program exists, but I don't know the name of it or where to get it. I have serched download.com extensively and have not found it. If anyone has a helpful hint short of installing a second hard drive and unpacking it therem please let me know.

#2 Grinler

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Posted 11 July 2004 - 05:08 PM

What version of windows are you running?

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#3 brionbastian

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Posted 11 July 2004 - 05:18 PM

Sorry i forgot to mention it, it's a XP Pro system with an athlon 2800+ and 256 of DDR. plenty of resources for whatever i need to do with it.

#4 Grinler

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Posted 11 July 2004 - 07:12 PM

And you created these .dat files using microsoft backup? Microsoft backup files are usually .bkf files.

#5 brionbastian

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Posted 11 July 2004 - 07:16 PM

I created the files with the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. they're named things like IMG00001, IMG00002 and so on. none of the files are larger than 2GB, it starts a new file when they get that big. in explorer, it says it's a DAT file.

#6 Grinler

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Posted 11 July 2004 - 09:31 PM

Ah ok.

You should read the info here:

http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/fast.htm

#7 brionbastian

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Posted 12 July 2004 - 08:59 AM

I'll do that, i'm goign to call them today and see if i can get that program. thanks for the help

#8 brionbastian

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Posted 12 July 2004 - 09:11 AM

I just got off the phone with microsoft, and they told me that fastconv is not a microsoft product and that I should search the microsoft knowledgebase and newsgroups which I have already done. If anyone reading this thread has the program, please let me know.

#9 Grinler

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Posted 12 July 2004 - 09:59 AM

You had them reference the internal Knowledge base article called Fastconv?

#10 KoanYorel

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Posted 12 July 2004 - 10:42 AM

FASTCONV is an unsupported utility.

See: <http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/fast.htm>

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#11 Grinler

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Posted 12 July 2004 - 10:48 AM

It is unsupported, but everything I read states that you need to get the file from microsoft.

#12 KoanYorel

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Posted 12 July 2004 - 11:34 AM

Ah, MS operators!

When one poses a question and most of the MS Ops see in the KB that
it is an unsupported program or utility - that's the end of it for them!

I've even gone to the point of calling in on different shifts trying to get
an individual to extend themselves ever so slightly. No Joy!

Dealing with a similiar problem an acquaintenance had several months
ago, we just opted to expand the file onto another drive and extract the
files she needed to acquire. But that is the hard way to do it I guess.

Have fun!

The only easy day was yesterday.

...some do, some don't; some will, some won't (WR)

#13 Grinler

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Posted 12 July 2004 - 11:58 AM

I am not that familiar with this utility. Is it possible to expand these dat files to another drive that has enough capacty or will using that utility automatically overwrite system files?

#14 KoanYorel

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Posted 12 July 2004 - 01:49 PM

"I am not that familiar with this utility. Is it possible to expand these dat files to another drive that has enough capacity or will using that utility automatically overwrite system files?"

I too was unwilling to take that risk, so I temporarily slaved an external drive to the PC
that I wanted to extract the files from, transfered and unpacked them, and then extracted the files individually that the the lady wanted to retrieve. (20 minutes of work after several days of exploring, asking questions, and playing games with MS inept phone operators.)

I did copy it off to a file on a Linux partion of a hard drive to extract the files.

This post has been edited by KoanYorel: 12 July 2004 - 01:56 PM

The only easy day was yesterday.

...some do, some don't; some will, some won't (WR)

#15 Grinler

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Posted 12 July 2004 - 01:54 PM

Damn that seems to be outside brionbastian's scope of what he wants to do. Brionbastion I would call microsoft again and give them the name of the internal knowldge base article and tell them they are supposed to provide the file.