Restore Windows NT Backup (ntbackup) .bkf in Vista and ‘Longhorn’ Server 2008

Windows NT Backup or ntbackup.exe is a backup utility software built-in in most version of Windows operating system before Windows Vista. NTBackup is the standard feature in Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows 2003 Server. NT Backup software is pretty limited in functionalities, but do a decent job to backup and restore. Furthermore, it’s free. So there may be people who uses NTBackup to safeguard their data.

Unfortunately, Windows NT Backup has been discontinued and no longer included in Windows Vista, and also upcoming Windows Server 2008 (aka Longhorn). NTBackup backup file in .bkf format or in a backup tape is a proprietary format that can be read by NTBackup.exe itself only. So once you have upgraded to Vista, these backup tapes and files are pretty much useless if you unable to restore them. For this purpose, Microsoft offers Windows NT Backup – Restore Utility, a Vista supplemental utility for restoring backups made on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 to computers running Windows Vista and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 code name “Longhorn” (currently in beta testing).

Download Windows NT Backup – Restore Utility (NtBackupRestore_x86.msi or NtBackupRestore_Win64.msi) from Microsoft Download Center (validation required).

The Restore Utility requires Removable Storage Management feature to be turned on in Windows Vista and Server 2008, which are disabled by default. Here’s the way to enable to enable the feature:

To turn on Removable Storage Management in Windows Vista

Click the “Start” button, click “Control Panel”, click “Programs”, and then click “Turn Windows Features on or off”. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. Select the check box next to “Removable Storage Management” to turn the feature on, and then click “OK”.

To install Removable Storage Management on Windows Server 2008 “Longhorn”

Click “Control Panel” and then click “Administrative Tools”. Open “Server Manager”, navigate to the “Features Summary” section, and click “Add features”. Select the check box next to “Removable Storage Manager”, click “Next”, and then click “Install”.

Once install, Ntbackup-RestoreUtility can be accessed from Start menu -> All Programs.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 30th, 2007 at 1:41 am and is filed under Windows Vista. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.