Recover / Extract files from .tib file archive - My Email Backup
Before I ask my questions I will give everyone a little background on the situation.
I need to extract the .PST outlook files from an Email Backup. The backup is a file backup, specifically an Email Backup generated by the "Backup Wizard" in T.I. Home. The version of T.I. is allegedly True Image Home 11. It is a 599 MB file. I am using T.I. 2010. This backup came from an XP Machine. I am not sure what version of Outlook was used. I am assuming 2003. My client is not sure. The original hard drive is no longer available for examination. I tried extracting the files through the wizard. Logs said that all files were extracted back to their original location. This is not true, as I cannot find any folders or files that T.I. created. I verified the file. The file passed verification. I cannot mount the .tib file according to T.I. because it contains no partitions. This in itself blows me away. If not "Mount" you should be able to explore, and drop these or a specific file to an alternate location. I tried to restore these email files to an alternate location using the wizard. This is not possible as there is no option to do this.
I was told by Acronis technical support that in order to restore these files you need to have the same O/S and Email Program. I installed XP and office, extracted the files with the wizard and no luck.
So, I have a 599 MB file on my desktop and no way to get the data. I wasn't able to see any raw information with a Hex Editor as the file is compressed in Acronis Format. I put in a request to the forensic support team at Access Data to add support for .tib files. Not sure when this will be implemented. I also put in a request with Acronis to contact their engineers. I haven't heard anything back.
There has to be another way into this file. If I can find a utility to uncompress the file from .tib, then I can find the headers and footers for the .PST file and carve it out.
So my question to Acronis or anyone who may know, is, how can I uncompress this file??? Anyone know of a 3rd party application that understands .tib files??? Can you, Acronis, talk with your software engineers about this. There should be an option to restore these files to an alternate location AND mount / explore your email backup. This is a major design flaw in worst case scenarios. Even the tech from Acronis was frustrated because he couldn't mount / explore the file. Acronis needs to create some utility for these situations or build in a diagnostics suite to T.I.
I’m not going to give up on this.
Best Regards,
Robert
Does the original location exist on the target disk. IF not, then make it so and then try restoring to original location. ONce you have the pst, you will need a compatible version of outlook to open it up and get the msgs.
Scott,
Thanks for the suggestions. Acronis support and I tried that very same thing. Unfortunately it was a no go. I uploaded the file to support and am awaiting a response from support. The file passed a verification, so it should be recoverable to some degree. I just wish you could explore "My Email" backups as well. Right now it is 100% menu driven.
Thanks again Scott,
Cheers,
Robert
Hello Robert,
Thanks for the update.
Keep us posted on the progress. Ping me or any moderator if you'll need assistance with support case.
Regards,
Andrey.
Do you have a utility program which would allow me to open a .tib file to allow recovery of individual files?
Roger
Do you have a utility that would allow me to open a .tib file to restore individual files?
Hi
I have exactly the same issue as Robert except that the original software used to create the email backup was BlackArmor Backup by Seagate (powered by Acronis).
I need to restore these emails to a new location, or mount to extract or any other option. Am getting very frustrated.
I have even tried installing Acronis True Image Home 2012 but still no joy.
Was there ever a resolution to the original post?
How can I get my email data out of the .tib files?
Please help
Paul
I'd restore the pst to any location you can, then go into outlook and import the archive (pst file)--you might need to assign ownership from within the os fisrt. this mostly an outlook proor other backp prog prob. rather than ati .Once you get the pst soemwhere, anywhere, go onto the ms forums for Outlook and see if they can get your archive into Outlook again. good look. The don't call it Lookout for nothing.
Thanks Scott, but the issue is that I can not restore the pst to anywhere other than the original location. There is no option in either BlackArmor Backup or Acronis software (that I can find) that will allow me to specify a restore location. Once I can get the pst somewhere or anywhere I will be find.
How do I get it out of the .tib files???
p. 91 of ussr guide, restore:
"Let's consider recovery of files and folders from the Backup Explorer.
1. Select in the Backup Explorer the files and folders you want to recover. For more information on selection in the Backup Explorer see Files and folders tab (p. 28). Click
Recover to start recovery. This will open the File Recovery window.
"
2. Select a destination on your computer to where you want to recover selected files/folders
See also bottom of page 91:
"How to recover mail, application settings, and system state"
Continued on page 92:
"1. Select a required backup version in the Acronis Backup Explorer and click Recover to start recovery. This will open the File Recovery window.
2. Such data can only be recovered to the original location. Therefore you can only change the recovery options. To change the recovery options, click the Recovery options link. The options you set here will be applied only to the current recovery operation."
Unfortunately I had not read this prior to backing up my emails.
Surely there must be another way to extract data from .tib files.
The stuff continuing on p. 92 about system and mail recovery has only to do with special backups of system and mail files, not regular backups. You have anormal file backup you want ot restore the pst and them select/import it into Outlook.
No, it was an Email backup that was performed. Not a regular file back up. Same as Robert's scenario in the original post above.
You have my regrets. The specialty backup can bring bad surprises. I wish they'd just get rid of those "email backups." They've been troublesome ever since they were first presented, not because Acronis doesn't keep working on the code but because MS keeps changing how Outlook behaves, and it's not a very well behaved program to begin with. In the last version it reportedly works rather well, but you have to mind the instructions.
If you had just made a regular backup (disk, partition, or even file), you would be able to get the pst and bring it into Outlook; I've done it several times.
Solution for those that stumble across this thread.
I installed Virtual Box with XP onto my new pc running Windows 7 x64.
Set up email accounts in OE as they where on the old machine that died. Not sure if this was necessary.
Installed BlackArmor Backup software that was used to back up email to .tib files.
Ran restore and it created a new identity to which it restored email folders. I.e. C:\Documents and Settings\your user name\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{new Windows user identity number}\Microsoft\Outlook Express. (hence why I don't think it was necessary to create email accounts first).
Copied restored Outlook Express folder to host machine and imported mail in accordance with http://windows.microsoft.com/en-ZA/windows-vista/Import-messages-into-Windows-Mail-from-Outlook-Express
Done
That is some good information to know. Maybe it will work with Outlook as well as Outlook Express. (The original version of Outlook would probably have to be installed as well).