Error “An Inconsistency Was Encountered In The Requested Backup File”

To safeguard ourselves from unforeseen circumstances we back up our files on a regular basis. But what if the files we believed are safe are no longer accessible?

When it comes to what keeps an organization running, data is one of the most important factors in every industry. Every organization must have a second layer of protection by having a backup in place to keep its data safe.

Recognizing the necessity of data backup, Microsoft developed its own backup software, the NTBackup utility.

This feature is available for Windows NT (Windows Server 2000, 2003, and XP). It comes pre-installed on the Windows XP machine. All the data that are backed up using this utility is saved in BKF file format. These BKF files can be accessed anytime and anywhere and help to restore the data.

However, owing to a variety of factors, even these BKF files might become unavailable at times. What are the causes behind this? They will be covered in greater detail later in this article.

First, let’s focus on the ways in which these corrupted BKF files can be recovered. Therefore, in this article, we will discuss the manual as well as a professional method to recover the damaged BKF files.

Ways To Resolve ‘An Inconsistency Was Encountered In The Requested Backup File’

There are two ways using which you can fix “an inconsistency was encountered in the requested backup file” issue of the BKF file.

Method 1: Professional Method To Resolve the Error

Step 1: Download and run the tool on your system.

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Step 2: Browse and backup file location to recover data.

Step 3: Select the scan mode option and choose the scan option to initiate the scanning process.

Step 4: Now, Search and preview the recovered BKF data.

Step 5: Finally, select extract and browse the destination where you want to keep your restored files.

Method 2: Manually Rectify The Error

If you want to recover your BKF files manually then you use the following method.

Step 1: First, get the NT5backup.cab file from the Internet. NTBackup.exe, Ntmsapi.dll, and Vssapi.dll are all contained within this cabinet file (.cab).

Step 2: Right-click the NTBackup.exe file and select “Run as Administrator”

Step 3: You’ll see a message given below.

• Click OK to proceed with the Backup or Restore Wizard.

Step 4: To proceed, click Next.

Step 5: Make a decision on what you want to do next. Select Restore files and settings from the menu.

• To proceed with the process, click Next.

Step 6: Click the Browse button and navigate to the backup file you want to restore.

Step 7: In the left pane, expand the backup file and select the desired files/folders.

• To proceed with the process, click Next.

Step 8: Before proceeding, click the Advanced button to specify additional restore options.

Step 9: Select “Alternate location” under the “Restore files to” option.

• By clicking the Browse button, you can specify the destination path. Then click Next to proceed with the process.

Step 10: Select how you want to restore existing files on your computer.

• To proceed, select “Leave existing files (Recommended)” and click Next.

Step 11: At this point, you can select whether to restore security or special system files.

• Then click Next to proceed with the process.

Step 12: Finally, click Finish to begin the repair.

What Happens When There Is A Backup File Error?

The corruption in the BKF file renders its contents unreadable, preventing users from restoring data from the backup. When a user attempts to recover their data, the system displays the same problem.
Possible Reasons For Corruption In BKF Files

1. CRC Failed: A CRC, also known as a cyclic redundancy check, is a mistake code that is often used to detect unintentional modifications to raw data. If any data bit is missing, the CRC procedure is likely to fail & cause the SQL Server CRC Error 23 in database.
2. Storage Media Failure: This can sometimes be a cause of corrupted BKF files. A backup file can be stored on both internal and external hard drives, as well as any other storage medium. If the backup file is saved on a corrupted sector, disc, or drive, it may cause corruption.
3. Virus infection is one of the most prevalent causes of file corruption in virtually all file formats. The virus is a type of malware that can destroy your data by deleting or overwriting a portion of the file. A backup file is not immune to virus contamination.
4. Invalid Content: If you insert an invalid type of content into a BKF file, it may get corrupted. Users are frequently reckless about what they put to the backup file. If they include any incorrect data or a corrupt file, the backup file may become corrupt.
5. Incorrect Procedures: Anything done poorly has negative repercussions. If you make an improper backup of your data, it is quite probable that it will be corrupted. Similarly, restoring data from backup improperly may result in corruption of the whole backup file.
6. Improper Shutdown: If a system abruptly shuts down due to a power outage or for any other reason, it may result in significant data loss for your computer, including the backup file. If you are taking a backup and the machine abruptly shuts down, the backup may be corrupted.

When this kind of error occurs, an image like this appears on the screen.

This error means that the Backup file that you are using is corrupted and won’t be able to recover your data.

Wrapping Up

BKF files are important for users as they help in keeping their files safe with the help of Microsoft’s NTBackup utility. However, when these files get corrupted it becomes a problem for users. Thus, in this article, the ways in which the files can be recovered are discussed.