Corbett
Corbett BKF File Recovery scans damaged NTBackup, Windows Backup and Backup Exec BKF files and extracts the files still inside, folder structure intact. Standard and Advanced scan modes handle light and heavy damage on Windows 11 back to 7, with no NTBackup install. Try free trial first.
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Backups are scanned on your PC. No BKF file or recovered document goes to Corbett.
Free demo, a 30 day money back window.
Lifetime licence from $99 Free trial shows every recoverable file
NTBackup archives
BKF is the archive format of NTBackup, the backup program that shipped with Windows XP and Server 2003. Damaged archives fail with errors about unrecognized data, and BKF File Recovery pulls out every file it can still reach.
Recovered
7BKF sources
6Scan options
6Not recoverable
4Why a BKF Will Not Open on Windows 10 or 11
NTBackup left Windows with Vista, so a current PC has no program behind a BKF file. BKF File Recovery opens the archive directly, healthy or damaged, so your files come back without an old XP machine.
Related pages include Repair PST file without scanpst tool, Restore OST file and PST File Analyzer.
Core features
Five screens of Corbett BKF File Recovery, in working order.
Load
Click Open, then Choose Files for one archive or Choose Folders when several backups share a directory. Scanning begins as soon as the BKF loads.
NTBackup and Backup Exec archives load without an NTBackup install.
Backup tree
BKF File Recovery rebuilds the folder tree stored in the archive. Expand drives and folders exactly as they were on the machine that made the backup.
Damaged parts are skipped, and the readable items stay listed.
File check
Click any item to confirm it is the right file before anything is saved. Keyword search narrows a large archive, so one invoice folder or one project comes back without the rest.
Your original BKF file is never modified.
Actions
Select files or full folders in the tree, open the Actions menu and choose Extract. Single files and full folders both work.
Files return in their original folders.
Save
Browse sets the destination and Save stores the selected files there. Switch on Open folder after export to land straight in your results.
Delete old folders clears an earlier export first.
Working process
Four steps take a damaged backup to a folder of working files. Try them in free trial first.
Load the BKF
Start BKF File Recovery, click Open and select Choose Files or Choose Folders. Scanning begins on load.
Browse the tree
Expand the rebuilt folder tree. Use Standard scan first and Advanced scan when items are missing.
Search and select
Type a keyword in the search bar, click items to check them and select the files you need.
Extract and save
Open Actions, choose Extract, Browse to a healthy drive and press Save. Open folder after export shows your results.
Recovered a damaged Outlook file from your backup? Open Repair PST file without scanpst tool next.
Working process
Prefer text? Open the BKF File Recovery guide for a full scan, screen after screen.
More options
Small options that make a big recovery job quick and safe.
Choose Files
Load a single BKF archive
Choose Folders
Load many backups from one directory
Standard scan
Quick scan for light damage
Advanced scan
Deeper scan for heavy damage
Folder tree
Mirrors the paths stored in the BKF
Item view
Open a stored file for a quick look
Keyword search
Find one file in a large archive
Selective extraction
Save only the files you select
Custom destination
Browse to any healthy drive
Open folder after export
Result folder shows at once
Delete old folders
Clears an earlier export first
Works on your PC
No BKF file is uploaded
BKF sources
BKF File Recovery opens archives from the backup programs below. Match your old backups to the list.
NTBackup
Archives from Windows XP and Server 2003
Windows Backup
BKF archives it created
Backup Exec
Symantec and Veritas archives
Veritas archives
Loaded like any other BKF
Folders of BKF files
Several backups in one load
Copies on disk
Tape copies saved as files
Large archives
Scan longer, same routine
Damaged BKF files
Readable files extracted
Free demo
Test BKF File Recovery on a Damaged Backup
Install free trial, load your BKF and scan. Every recoverable file shows in the tree, so you see the result before you buy. Extraction needs the $99 licence.
Download free demoTry before you buy
Free trial of BKF File Recovery scans your archive and shows every recoverable file. Extraction needs the full licence.
| Feature | Free demo | Full version |
|---|---|---|
| Load BKF files and folders | Available | Available |
| Standard and Advanced scan | Available | Available |
| Folder tree of recoverable files | Shown | Shown |
| Extract files | Not included | Included |
| Price | Free | From $99 one time |
Use cases
Anyone who holds an old backup and no program to open it.
IT admins
Use BKF File Recovery to open BKF files found on retired servers and old storage drives.
Small offices
Bring back project files from a Server 2003 backup with BKF File Recovery.
Support technicians
Recover files from a customer BKF that fails with errors using BKF File Recovery.
Home users
Open an XP backup from an old drive on a current PC with BKF File Recovery.
Teams after a migration
Check what an old backup holds before you retire it.
Consultants
Pull one client folder from a large archive by keyword.
Why Corbett
Lifetime licence
From $99, one payment
Works on your PC
Nothing is uploaded anywhere
Two scan modes
Standard and Advanced
Folders kept
Files return to their original paths
Keyword search
Find one file in a large archive
Check before saving
Open an item before extraction
Original BKF safe
Your archive is never modified
30 day refund
Money back window after purchase
Before you scan
BKF File Recovery extracts what the archive still holds on Windows. Here is what that covers and where it stops.
| Capability | Status | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| NTBackup archives | Yes | BKF files from Windows XP and Server 2003 backups |
| Backup Exec archives | Yes | Symantec and Veritas BKF files load too |
| Damaged BKF files | Yes | Readable files are extracted with their folder paths |
| Selective recovery | Yes | Search by keyword and extract only what you select |
| Overwritten sectors | No | Data that was overwritten cannot come back |
| Empty sectors | No | Sectors that never held data have nothing to extract |
| Wiped drives | No | A wiped drive leaves no archive to scan |
| Mac and Linux | No | BKF File Recovery installs on Windows only |
Old program or new
NTBackup made these archives and still restores a healthy BKF on an old XP machine. Once the file is damaged or the old PC is gone, BKF File Recovery steps in.
| Job | NTBackup | BKF File Recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free on XP | $99 one time |
| Healthy BKF on XP | Restores it | Extracts it too |
| Windows 10 and 11 | Not available | Works on 7 to 11 |
| Damaged BKF | Stops with an error | Extracts readable files |
| Scan depth | None | Standard and Advanced |
| Find one file | Browse the catalog | Keyword search |
| Many archives | One at a time | Folders in one load |
| Backup Exec files | Not its format | Supported |
Green rows mark where NTBackup still holds up. Mail data inside old backups is the job of email recovery software.
Specifications
Download details
System
Supported editions
Windows 11, 10, 8 and 7 in 32 bit or 64 bit, plus Windows Server 2008 to 2019. No macOS or Linux build.
Rights column lists Run as Administrator.
Support handles setup trouble and questions on first use.
User testimonials
BKF File Recovery earns 493 reviews from buyers.
Collected across 493 reviews from software portals and support chats. Three reviews below are unedited.
When my BKF file wouldn't open after the system crash, I feared that my entire year's worth of project would be lost. But, after using this software all my data is recovered with the folder structure. I highly recommend this tool as it helps me with corrupted backup.
I don't know anything about technology, but this software helped me in recovering my data from a damaged BKF file. Its preview section and the clean interface make it easier to work.
I tried many tools to repair my corrupt BKF files, but nothing worked. However, one of my colleagues suggesteds the Corbett BKF data recovery software and it worked well. I like the preview section of the software as it tells me what I was recovering.
Before scanning
Three habits raise the share of files a damaged backup gives back.
Copy the BKF before scanning
Copy the damaged archive to a healthy drive and scan the copy. Failing disks can lose more data with every access, and the untouched original stays as evidence.
Plan room for the output
Extracted files take about as much space as the data inside the BKF. Point BKF File Recovery at a drive with enough free room.
Start with Standard scan
Standard scan in BKF File Recovery is quick and handles light damage. When folders or files are missing from the tree, scan again in Advanced scan.
Mail found inside old backups is covered in Restore OST file and Repair PST file without scanpst tool.
Safety checks
A damaged backup can be your only copy, so four habits keep a recovery job safe.
Scan a copy
Point BKF File Recovery at a copy of the BKF so the original stays untouched.
Save to a healthy drive
Browse sets a BKF File Recovery destination apart from the damaged disk.
Check before you extract
Click an item in the file list to confirm it is the right file.
Open the output folder
Switch on Open folder after export and check your files right after Save.
Common questions
Archives, scans, Windows versions and what the trial shows.
BKF File Recovery is Windows software from Corbett that scans damaged NTBackup, Windows Backup and Backup Exec BKF files and extracts the files still inside them.
Click Open, choose your BKF with Choose Files and let the scan finish. Select the files in the tree, click Actions, then Extract, browse to a folder and press Save.
Not with Windows itself, since NTBackup is gone. BKF File Recovery opens your BKF on Windows 7 through 11.
Standard scan is fast and suits light damage. Advanced scan goes deeper for badly damaged files and takes longer.
Yes. Archives from NTBackup, Windows Backup and Symantec or Veritas Backup Exec all load.
No. BKF File Recovery needs no NTBackup install and no old XP machine.
Large backups scan the same way as small ones. Scans take longer.
Yes. Files extract into the same folders they had inside the backup.
Yes. Search by keyword or browse the tree, select what you need and extract only that.
No. Your archive stays as it is, and results go to the folder you choose.
Yes. Choose Folders in BKF File Recovery loads every backup that shares a directory in one go.
Yes. Click an item in the BKF File Recovery file list to check it, then select the files you want.
BKF recovery time depends on archive size and damage. Large archives in Advanced scan take longer than lightly damaged ones in Standard scan.
No. Sectors that were overwritten or never held data cannot come back. BKF File Recovery extracts everything still readable.
No. Open, scan, select and extract is the full routine.
No. Scanning and extraction happen on your PC, and no BKF file goes to Corbett.
Not natively. Copy your BKF to a Windows PC and recover it there.
Free trial scans your archive and shows every recoverable file. Extraction needs the full licence.
Personal costs $99 for 2 PCs, Business costs $199 for 10 PCs and Enterprise costs $299 for 50 PCs. You pay once for a lifetime licence.
You receive the licence key and invoice by email after payment. Activation needs an internet connection.
Windows 11, 10, 8 and 7 in 32 bit or 64 bit, plus Windows Server 2008 to 2019. There is no macOS or Linux build.
BKF File Recovery downloads at 3.7 MB. Keep 9.7 MB of free disk space, 2 GB of RAM and a Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz processor.
Yes. Refund requests made within 30 days of purchase are accepted. See the refund policy for details.
Open the BKF File Recovery guide for a full scan with screenshots.
BKF guides
Help for Office files, data jobs and file privacy.
Inspect files
Disk and devices
Mailbox transfers sit on the Email Migration Tool page and server transfers on the IMAP Migration Tool page. Mail formats go to the email converter tool, damaged mailbox data needs email recovery software and email viewer software opens saved mail free. Utility tools include VBA Password Remover and Website Downloader. Also see Email Eraser Tool, Image File Converter, XLS to CSV Converter, Email Address Validator and Sitemap Generator.
Get started
Scan your BKF in free trial first and see every recoverable file. Your $99 licence is a single payment backed by a 30 day refund window.
Download free demo Purchase now
3.7 MB · Windows 11 to 7 and Windows Server 2019 to 2008 · 30 day money back