# Windows Backup **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 7, 2002, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-backup/127433 "2002-09-07T13:31:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ZomZom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zomzom/32/5620_2.png) [@ZomZom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZomZom)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-backup/127433/1 "2002-09-07T13:31:04Z")
I’ve created a bkf file using Windows backup. When I load this file from a networked laptop, it tells me that there are no files to restore. When I load this file from the machine that created the backup I can restore just fine. Obviously the purpose of a backup is to be able to transfer this data to a future machine should this one become damaged, so I’ve got to be missing something. Any guidance is appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-backup/127433/2 "2002-09-07T16:38:04Z")
What are the operating systems on the machines? ---
**Author:** ![ZomZom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zomzom/32/5620_2.png) [@ZomZom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZomZom)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-backup/127433/3 "2002-09-07T16:55:34Z")
The desktop that created the backup is XP Pro, the laptop that cannot read the backup is W2K. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-backup/127433/4 "2002-09-07T17:30:14Z")
I haven’t been able to find any references to the XP version of NTBACKUP being incompatible with the 2000 one. It wouldn’t surprise me though…Microsoft doesn’t have a good track record in this regard. I’ll try to test it on Monday when I have access to an XP machine. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-backup/127433/5 "2002-09-07T19:27:21Z")
Every backup program that has come with any MS OS has had problems, according to PC magazine columnists, and are to be avoided. I would like to be able to state personal knowledge, but I have always avoided MS backup programs as a result of the aforementioned advice. Some are so bad that they have screwed up computers just by installing them and never running them. (This _did_ happen to me. Foobarred my tape drive drivers in Win98.)