Windows Forum·65,807 discussions

Unable to open a system backup file in .adi forn

A system backup from a WIN 7 desktop was taken back in 2019 with a size of 29gb.
I require to access this file but was unable to do so.
Trawled the web and was advised to try Active@Disk Image – downloaded the evaluation version and tried to work my way through it without any success – tried ‘disk to image’ ‘create raw image’ image to disk’ etc but was stumbling around in the dark – no real idea of what I was doing.
I also downloaded File Analyzer App which advised the .adi file could actually be a .bin file?
Still stuck – have tried to access the .adi file from Win 10 laptop and Win 7 desktop.
The reason I require access is because someone tried to upgrade the desktop OS from Win 7 to Win 10 – managed to wipe everything and no way back without access to this .adi file.
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Mike

Topic

Re: restore

In reply to Unable to open a system backup file in .adi forn

Assuming that you used the native backup used by Windows 7, and that you now run Windows 10, I’d start with the following 2 methods:

1. See if restoring as instructed in https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/back-up-and-restore-your-pc-ac359b36-7015-4694-de9a-c5eac1ce9d9c works. But this will overwrite your current Windows 10 and everything in it.

2. Install a version of Windows 7 (no need to activate it with a license) and see if the native restore restores the old Windows 7 by fully overwriting the temporary one you installed. It would be an very good idea to do this on another HDD or SSD, so you don’t need to overwrite your current Windows 10 and your files and settings in it, and can transfer the files you need to your OS of choice later.
In fact, this would be the first thing I’d try.

restore

In reply to Re: restore

Hi
Many thanks for your prompt response.
I tried this initially with no success – will try again on the original wiped PC.
Why wont this .adi file open?
Regards
Mike

Re: open .adi file

In reply to restore

https://fileinfo.com/extension/adi says “You can open an ADI file in Active@ Disk Image Explorer (Windows). To do so, select File → Open Image… from the program’s menu bar. Then, navigate to and open your ADI file.”

https://www.disk-image.com/explore.htm tells more.

So the why is rather simple to answer: (1) you didn’t use that program, or (2) you didn’t choose that option in the program you used. After all, “create [new] image” looks like something else as “explore [old] image”.
A tip for the future: if you make any other backup than a simple file copy, look at it right away and don’t forget how to do that.

restore

In reply to Re: open .adi file

Hi
Thanks for the reply.
I don’t have ‘open image’ option on Active@ Disk Image
Tried ‘explore image’ – get message ‘The file is not a valid image
archive’
It wasn’t me who performed the 2019 system backup.
Regards
Mike

Re: not a valid image

In reply to restore

Then it looks like you can’t get files out. Sorry to read that.

Other useful tips for the future:
(1) Have more than one backup copy of what you don’t want to lose.
(2) At least one of those should be a simple file copy that you can open on any PC in any Windows, without any need for some application program.
(3) Safe at least one backup off-line (cloud, external hard disk, USB-stick) so it can’t be damaged by ransomware).
(4) Never let anyone do such things as wiping your disk without your permission. Upgrading Windows 7 to Windows 10 can be done without losing any setting, data or installed program.

Update

In reply to Unable to open a system backup file in .adi forn

Hi Mike,

Just wondering if you were able to find a solution to this issue? I’m in the same pickle and haven’t seen mention of it anywhere else on the internet.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Tom

[Author]

Replies