Extract NT Backup Files in Linux Using mtftar
published 2008-01-26 · tags: linux, mtf, mtftar, nt-backup, tar
AS PUBLISHED, 2008Original text from Jan 26, 2008, kept as published. Package names and flags reflect the tooling of that time; an in-place refresh with a tested on line is on the way.
If you would like to extract the contents of an NT backup (.bkf) file in Linux, mtftar is a utility that translates a Microsoft Tape Format (MTF) stream into the tar format. You can pick up mtftar from the authors site at http://gpl.internetconnection.net.
To get started, download the source code and compile.
$ wget http://gpl.internetconnection.net/files/mtftar.tar.gz
$ tar zxfv mtftar.tar.gz
$ cd mtftar
$ make
$ sudo cp mtftar /usr/bin/
- or -
$ su -c "cp mtftar /usr/bin/"
Using this utility is straight forward, as shown in the following example.
$ mtftar < MyBackup.bkf | tar xvf -
C:
C:/Stuff/Pictures/Misc Family Photos
C:/Stuff/Pictures/Misc Family Photos/First Bikes
C:/Stuff/Pictures/Misc Family Photos/First Bikes/First Bikes 001.jpg
C:/Stuff/Pictures/Misc Family Photos/First Bikes/First Bikes 002.jpg
C:/Stuff/Pictures/Misc Family Photos/First Bikes/First Bikes 003.jpg
C:/Stuff/Pictures/Misc Family Photos/First Bikes/First Bikes 004.jpg
C:/Stuff/Pictures/Misc Family Photos/First Bikes/First Bikes 005.jpg
An alternate mtf reader for Linux can be found here at http://laytongraphics.com/mtf/. The site also references a PDF written by Seagate that describes the MTF format if you’re interested.