Recover "favorites" from Bup file ? How?

[pwrhamr]

I recently installed a different OS on my laptop. Switched from 32bit to 64bit Win 7 Home Premium. I forgot to make a copy of my favorites(IE8) and now they are gone. Mumble, mumble, mumble, my fault.
I have a complete bup file on a external HDD from a few months ago, using windows backup. I dont completely understand the back up recovery thing and I do not want to do a complete recovery. SO is it possible to open the bup file and extract just the favorites? Thats all I need from the file.

Thanks.

 

[roncerr]

I don't know but to avoid not being able to access my backup files individually I use Microsoft's Sync Toy to make the backup: SyncToy for Windows 7 - Delete files between folders and computers - Windows 7 Download .

 

[roncerr]

Another thought: If you have an extra hard drive, install it temporarily and install the free 90-day trial of Windows 7 Enterprise (download available until the end of this year). Now you can use your backup as Microsoft intended (I hope!). Then move the favorites to a thumb drive and swap the hard drives back the way they were.

 

[karlsnooks]

I recently installed a different OS on my laptop. Switched from 32bit to 64bit Win 7 Home Premium. I forgot to make a copy of my favorites(IE8) and now they are gone. Mumble, mumble, mumble, my fault.
I have a complete bup file on a external HDD from a few months ago, using windows backup. I dont completely understand the back up recovery thing and I do not want to do a complete recovery. SO is it possible to open the bup file and extract just the favorites? Thats all I need from the file.

Thanks.

The Backup file was produced by Windows 7 Backup and Restore?

If yes, then I'm assuming you have a System Image backup therein.

A system image is stored as a .VHD file.

Using DiskManagement, you can "mount" the .VHD file and "explore" the VHD with windows explorer. That means you will be able to copy your "favorites" off to, for example, your desktop and then import in or howerver IE does it. I'm a firefox user and use FoxMarks to sync my bookmarks and tabs.

Now let's see, I don't know if Brink's excellent tutorial on Win 7 Backup and Restore goes thru the procedure to locate the vhd and then mount the vhd.

I'll check what we have and if I don't find anything, then I'll connect up my external usb which I use for win 7 backups and document the steps I go thru. I've done this locate and mount several times but never worried with writing the procedure down.

However, first I'll wait and make sure you are talking about a win 7 backup.

 

[roncerr]

...Using DiskManagement, you can "mount" the .VHD file and "explore" the VHD with windows explorer. That means you will be able to copy your "favorites" off...

I had no idea this was possible, thanks. I found this article, perhaps it will help if as you say the OP is talking about a Win7 backup .VHD file: Mount, attach and create VHD files in Windows Vista and Windows 7 - 4sysops. (The article also says "This also works with Vista’s backup images.")

 

[karlsnooks]

Here's how to get at those files in a system image backup VHD file.

VIEW FILES IN A SYSTEM IMAGE BACKUP FILE


Connect the drive containing the System Image

Open Disk Management
WIN | type DISKMGMT.MSC | ENTER

Attach the VHD file
On the main menu, at the top, choose Action then choose Attach VHD
Click on the Browse button in the resulting dialog.
Type Computer in the search bar in the resulting dialog.
Right-click on the drive containing the system image [in my case, ToshibaBkUp (F], choose Open
Right-click on WindowsImageBackup, choose Open (confirm any permission prompt)
Right-click on the folder with the name of your computer [in my case, karl-PC], choose Open (confirm any permission prompt)
Right-click on the folder named Backup..., choose Open (confirm any permission prompt)

There will be one VHD file for each partition in the backup.
Click on a VHD file (don’t worry if you get the wrong one, then ), OPEN button, OK button

View the files in the VHD
Disk Management will create a new disk.
Locate that new disk in the Disk Management display.
Right-click on the space shown for the new disk, choose Open

Now you are on your own. Find the files you want and copy them to one of your normal disks.
When finished, close the explorer window.

Detach the virtual disk
Right-click in the space to the left of the space shown for the new disk.
Choose Detach VHD, OK button

 

[karlsnooks]

I had no idea this was possible, thanks. I found this article, perhaps it will help if as you say the OP is talking about a Win7 backup .VHD file: Mount, attach and create VHD files in Windows Vista and Windows 7 - 4sysops. (The article also says "This also works with Vista’s backup images.")

I had just posted my write-up when I saw that you'd posted a reference to the procedure.

You can use this procedure with any vhd file.

You can also "mount" (attach) and "dismount" (detach) VHD files using DiskPart, but I think that for the average user that using Disk Management is easier.

 

[pwrhamr]

So close.....

Opened the Bup file as a VDH, it is partioned as Drive(G). I can see folders. Beautiful.

Thanks to both of you. Saved me a few years worth of favorites.

To finish the thread:

Open Drive(G). In the search box type "Favorites", hit "enter", (confirm any permissions). Now wait for it......Bingo! Copy the "Favorites" (Icon: folder with star coming out) to a safe place.

 

[karlsnooks]

Glad that we could help out.