New computer won't restore using backup from old computer

mycompsucks · 15 Aug 2013

Before I switched computers, I made a backup of all my files. Then I swapped the hard drive into the new computer and put on a new copy of Windows x64. Previously, I was using 32 bit, so I'm not sure if that's influencing my ability to load the backup file. When I click the backup file, it opens a restore window that should be listing the backup file as an option, but the window is empty. I've tried loading the backup file on a 32 bit system as well and I get the same result. I've opened the backup file in windows explorer and verified that the files are there and intact, but for some reason I can't use it for anything.

Is there a way to point the restore program to the file I need? Or can I manually extract the files from the backup? I'm not sure what to do and I could really use the access to my files. Any advice you could offer would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Kyle

Brink · 15 Aug 2013

Hello Kyle,

The tutorial below can help show you a couple of options that could be used to manually extract files from a Windows Backup.

Backup - Manually Extract Files from in Vista & Windows 7

Hope this helps, :)
Shawn

mycompsucks · 15 Aug 2013

Thank you so much! I'll take a look right now.

EDIT: I'm using the process described here using 7-zip, but I just have one question. For files that have been segmented into multiple zipped folders, will this simple extraction leave those files intact when it finishes or will I have to do something special for those files? I read further into the article that if you're extracting such a file yourself, it's more complicated than simply extracting and overwriting. So does 7-zip know this and react when it finds files of the same name, or will I have to go back through the backup file for everything over 200mb?

If anyone knows the answer to this, please let me know. Thank you.
When the decompression process finishes and I can verify file integrity I will mark this thread solved.

EDIT2: So the decompression finished and the larger files are not intact. I will have to follow the listed procedure, but other than that the files are here.