Backup4all Forum

Hello
is it possible to restore the files from the crypted zip-archives with the password but without having the .bkc-catalogue file?
When I do that I can extract the content of the archives but the extracted files are not the files I had backuped before.

Hi,

You can extract the .zip files (created by Backup4all) using any zipping tool as WinZip, 7zip etc.
You said the files are different from the ones you backed up.
Did you extracted the latest backup version?

yes, I have extracted the last full backup. I used 7zip and Winzip
I get a lot of folders which have only a number for the name.
After a lot of subfolders there will be some files like F12345.

The restoring with backup4all works.

I think the problem there is that for restoring the files from the archive
the catalogue file is needed and can only be done by b4a. That is not a problem, I just want to know
if I could be able to use only the zip-files when a extreme disaster happens
and I dont have the catalogue file anymore. When the zip-files are useless
without the .bkc I need to know that first, not when it's too late.
That's an important information.

I know this is the most complicated question ever has been asked in this forum and it needs a couple of scientists to answert it, but please give it a try.

It's not complicated at all. You could:

1) Read the documentation and realize that if you use the "Mirror" type of backup, you can browse directly to your files within your backup just as if you were in the live folder.

2) If you truly want zipped, encrypted backups, create some batch command files (.BAT or .CMD) that run the file compression utility of your choice with the correct command line options. If you wanted that to be automated, create a task in the Windows Task Scheduler to execute the script at a prescribed time.

No scientists (or sarcasm) needed.

Neither 1, nor 2, is an answer for my question.

@mhmj

It seems you also used the option to obfuscate the file/folder names, to hide their real names.
The real name of them is stored encrypted in catalog, so you cannot get the exact source names without restoring with Backup4all.

About the restored version which is different of the source:
1. Please open Backup4all and select that job.
2. Go to Explore View (F2) and select a file you restored and it was different.
3. At the bottom you will see its file versions. See the details: size, modified, backup date
4. Compare that information with the file in source location: are the size and modified date the same?