Restoring a .bak file

[DrZoidberg]

Hi, I've recently taken on a new client with exisitng sites running off one database and I need to move the sites to a new server, including the database. The old company that the client was using have provided me with the site files and the database as a .bak file. I am a total newbie with databases (although I do use Access for other sites). I would seriously appreciate it if someone could answer the following questions to save my **** come project deadline day!!!

1) How do I find out whether the database is Access or other?
2) Once I've done that how do I restore the .bak file to a database file?

Thanks!

 

[FLabrecque]

Have you tried renaming the extension to .mdb or .mde and see what happens?

If it's not working, you should ask them directly.

 

[DrZoidberg]

thanks, I just tried that and it said "unrecognised database format" for both .mdb and .mde. Does that mean it's not either of those? The reason I don't think I can get an answer from the old company is because my client had a falling out with them and they've already been difficult sending anything over.

 

[FLabrecque]

Are you sure they use a MS-Access database (you just never know!)? I googled "restore .bak file" and got a lot of SQL Server related results.

 

[DrZoidberg]

sorry, no I'm not sure. I was hoping it would be Access because I have no experience with any other database software. If it is SQL server is there anyway I can tell?

 

[FLabrecque]

Probably. Just unsure how. I'm more familiar with Oracle or Access. Sorry.

 

[WayneRyan]

Dr Z,

Is this the same topic as in the SQL Server forum?

Your .BAK file is most likely a SQL Server database backup. You can use
Enterprise Manager to restore it.

Wayne

 

[DrZoidberg]

thanks Wayne, yeah it's the same as the one in the SQL forum.

 

[commandolomo]

I've faced a similar issue with regards to .bak files, and the most succesful way I have found is to restore it into SQL Server, using Enterprise manager - as suggested above.

I believe you can get SQL Server 2K (for a single desktop) license free, and SQL Server works fine running on a normal desktop - I have this exact set up, running Server 2k on my Win XP networked laptop.

The db can then be placed into an Access as required. Enterprise Manager recognises the db structure and data, and displays in an easily usuable format. There may be other tools avaible to restore .bak files into a usable format, but to me SQL Server does the job just fine!

Good luck

 

[mresann]

Open any unknown database format file with a text editor such as Notepad. You can usually find information in the header string, such as Jet Database assignments, etc. Then you can use the search function for "Access", "A c c e s s" (text embedded in db's frequently have spaces), "P a r a d o x", etc. At the very least, within a couple of minutes you will probably find what type of file it is by the text it contains. Don't make any changes, though! You know the usual drill here.