Backup Program Needs Identifying

Firstly, I don't think you can!

My understanding of in-built Windows backup systems (unless it is some after-market backup software (Norton perhaps) that was supplied with the computer) are that they relate directly to the operating system (and to a lesser extent original hardware at the time of the backup 'snapshot' of your original software OS, data and hardware settings) and as such backup disks from 1997 are now useless.

There may be a way around this (possibly using an old machine running Win95) but I don't think it is going to be easy, and there is a chance that 13 year old data on 3 1/2" floppies is going to be degraded preventing recovery.

Hopefully you saved the data separately, but what could be so important from 13 years ago? Financial records perhaps?

Hopefully someone with more IT knowledge knows a way around these issues.

Hi Jack

The files are CAD files for a very old M/C that requires spares. I have copied each of the files to my hard disk and they appear to be intact. I have a spare hard disk which I may format with W95.

Tony

If they are CAD files and not system files are you sure they are not just .zip or .rar archive files which have been split up in to 3 1/2" disk sized sequential archive pieces?

This was also a common method of backing up back in the days of 3 1/2" disks, and I vaguely remember the extension of a multiple part archive looking similar to what you describe, although I thought there was a start part before the sequential .001, .002, etc (such as CC70108A.zip). My memory isn't too good due to the limited use of this archiving feature.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_file_archivers

What do you think? Do you have a CC70108A.zip disk or similar?

Hi Jack

You may well be correct, we are going to format a W95 disk tomorrow, I'll let know how we go.

Thanks for your help, Tony

Merely viewing the first few bytes of the file may provide a clue. Quite often, those first few bytes contain ASCII text identifying its format. There are some file editor programs that print binary files gracefully. My favorite is 010 Editor.

I just tried opening a gif file in Word 2007, and it opened, showing a bunch of garbage, but the first 5 bytes contained "GIF89".

If you have access to a linux, unix or Mac machine, there's a command called "strings" that will print the readable text from any file while skipping all the binary values that can potentially screw up your text window. But just "more filename" in a DOS prompt might get you something you can use.

Thanks Lynn

I opened them in WordPad and they are under Norton Ver 1E which I believe came with Windows 3.1. Further more the backup file names are also listed. My next job is to get a copy of that Norton and hope I can run it in a DOS window.

Again thanks for that insight, I'm a step closer.

Tony