Time Machine Access to sparsebundle as zip file on windows

[samlmitchell]

Hi All,

I'm new here but I'm racking my brains and I can't work out what to do.

I've been backing up to a NAS drive (WD My Cloud) with time machine. I no longer have access to the location where the NAS drive is located so have logged in and downloaded the backup file "Sam's iMac.sparsebundle" via a windows PC. It's downloaded as an 18Gb file named "Sam's iMac.sparsebundle.zip". I've tried unzipping it without success, although I've been pretty impatient with waiting from it to unzip.

The data on here is pretty crucial, so I wanted to ask your advice on how best to access it?

I'm aware I probably need to format an external hard drive to HFS+ but not sure on what process I should be using to get to a usable backup that I can access on my mac.

Really hope you guys can help!!!
[doublepost=1486585356][/doublepost]I've been a little more patient and have recieved the following message after trying to unzip the file on my windows laptop.

"Cannot open the file a zip archive is not an archive"

 

[Weaselboy]

The data on here is pretty crucial, so I wanted to ask your advice on how best to access it?

I'm aware I probably need to format an external hard drive to HFS+ but not sure on what process I should be using to get to a usable backup that I can access on my mac.

I'm a little confused. You still have a Mac avaialble? If you do, just copy that sprasebundle image over to the Mac and it will be able to natively open the disk image and in Finder you will be able to see you backup files and retrieve them.

If you are on Windows and do not have access to a mac, you will need some sort of third party add on to be able to open and read that sparsebundle file. There is a free Windows program called HFS Explorer that reportedly will do this (have not tried it myself).

http://www.catacombae.org/hfsexplorer/

 

[samlmitchell]

I'm a little confused. You still have a Mac avaialble? If you do, just copy that sprasebundle image over to the Mac and it will be able to natively open the disk image and in Finder you will be able to see you backup files and retrieve them.

If you are on Windows and do not have access to a mac, you will need some sort of third party add on to be able to open and read that sparsebundle file. There is a free Windows program called HFS Explorer that reportedly will do this (have not tried it myself).

http://www.catacombae.org/hfsexplorer/

Great thank-you... even though it appears as a zip file on windows this should still work? Do you think I need to rename the file? I've got access to my imac this weekend but for now I'm stuck on windows

Just to add I haven't downloaded it to and HFS+ drive. It's saved on a usual FAT32 drive at the moment

 

[Weaselboy]

Great thank-you... even though it appears as a zip file on windows this should still work? Do you think I need to rename the file? I've got access to my imac this weekend but for now I'm stuck on windows

Just to add I haven't downloaded it to and HFS+ drive. It's saved on a usual FAT32 drive at the moment

Yes, I would rename it to get rid of the zip extension. It will work okay on a FAT32 drive.

Those sparse bundle images are really interesting. It is sort of a virtual HFS+ system inside the bundle and the image. The the image is written in 8MB "bands". Normally a FAT32 drive would only be able to hold a 4GB file size, but the sparse bundle with its 8MB bands gets around that.

 

[samlmitchell]

Yes, I would rename it to get rid of the zip extension. It will work okay on a FAT32 drive.

Those sparse bundle images are really interesting. It is sort of a virtual HFS+ system inside the bundle and the image. The the image is written in 8MB "bands". Normally a FAT32 drive would only be able to hold a 4GB file size, but the sparse bundle with its 8MB bands gets around that.

Cool... I've attempted to remove the zip extension and it's taking it's time... about 20 minutes now... It is an 18Gb file though. I've downloaded HFS exlporer and installed the annoying java requirement... will update on progress
[doublepost=1486595391][/doublepost]

Yes, I would rename it to get rid of the zip extension. It will work okay on a FAT32 drive.

Those sparse bundle images are really interesting. It is sort of a virtual HFS+ system inside the bundle and the image. The the image is written in 8MB "bands". Normally a FAT32 drive would only be able to hold a 4GB file size, but the sparse bundle with its 8MB bands gets around that.

Gahh... So it's not letting me change the file type of the file... just keeps failing after about 20 mins of thinking about it. HFSexplorer isn't regognising the file annoyingly.

 

[Weaselboy]

https://www.paragon-software.com/home/hfs-windows/

You could try Paragon HFS+ to open the file. It costs money, but I see they have a trial. That might work for you.