What is a .RBK file?
An RBK file is a type of computer file used specifically with older versions of Microsoft Windows, namely Windows 95 and Windows 98. This file serves as a backup for the Windows registry. The Windows registry is a critical part of the operating system. It holds a lot of important information like system settings, how your computer starts up, information about the programs installed on your computer, and the types of files they can open. If something goes wrong with the registry, it can cause serious problems with your computer, including making it not start up properly. That's where RBK files come in handy because they can be used to restore the registry back to a previous state if it gets corrupted or damaged.
To create an RBK file, you would have used a tool that came with Windows 95 called the Configuration Backup Tool, which is also known by its file name, Cfgback.exe. When this tool creates a backup, it usually names the file something like Regback1.rbk, with the number at the end changing depending on how many backups you have.
Besides being used by Windows itself, some specific programs, like SQL Server 7.0, also use RBK files to save important settings related to how they interact with Windows.
To open an RBK file, you would typically use the Microsoft Configuration Backup Tool if you're working within Windows 95 or 98. However, since those operating systems are quite old, other programs have been developed to work with RBK files. Two examples are Uniblue RegistryBooster and PC Tools Registry Mechanic. These programs could analyze and help fix problems in the registry using the backup stored in an RBK file. It's important to note, though, that PC Tools Registry Mechanic is no longer being updated since it was discontinued in 2013. Despite this, older versions of the software might still be found and used to open RBK files.
In summary, RBK files are backups of the Windows registry from older versions of Windows. They are crucial for fixing problems that might occur with the registry, and while the original tool used to create and open them is part of older Windows versions, other third-party software options are available to manage these files.
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