cannot retrieve backup files because of invalid mediaID. bin file even though files exist

Question

I created a backup of my old windows 10 laptop on an external drive that could not be upgraded to win 11. That old laptop is now gone.

Now when I try to restore files from that old laptop backup to my newer win 11 laptop I get the problem message that they cannot be restored because of an invalid MediaID.bin file.

When I try the restore I can select the specific .avi files I want, pick the restore location, then get the MediaID.bin error. The external drive backup folder does have a MediaID.bin file with the same date as the backup. Request assistance.

Answer 1

Thanks Riza. So I was sort of on that track before but it wasn't working. Each of the 4 highlighted backup folders have an alice in wonderland.avi file.

My mistake when I copied them to another folder was that I would rename them alice in wonderland 1.avi, alice in wonderland 2.avi, alice in wonderland 3.avi and alice in wonderland 4.avi. Then when I right mouse clicked and did extract all it would only extract the individual file I clicked on.

What worked is when I save the files to another folder then renamed them alice in wonderland.avi.001, alice in wonderland.avi.002, alice in wonderland.avi.003 and alice in wonderland.avi.004. Then right mouse click extract all on alice in wonderland.avi.001 and the whole file is created.

It a tedious way of recovering large, segmented files from windows backup but it works.

Answer 2

Hello! Thank you for reaching out. I am Tin, an independent advisor, and glad to assist you today with this issue. Thank you for providing a detailed explanation. The MediaID.bin file is an important metadata file created by Windows Backup (or other backup tools like Windows 7 Backup and Restore) for the system to locate the backup set on the media and identify it. The error you are facing-"invalid MediaID.bin"-is usually caused as follows:

The MediaID.bin file is either corrupt or not matching.

The backup files have been moved, renamed, or copied manually breaking folder structure.

The restore is being attempted from an unsupported or partially supported system/version of the backup format.

Now, here is how to move forward step by step:

1: Confirm the Structure of the Folder Is Correct

Check that the external hard disk has the appropriate Windows Backup arrangement. This is how it should look:

php-template

<DriveLetter>:\

└── WindowsImageBackup\

└── <ComputerName>\

    ├── Backup YYYY-MM-DD HHMMSS\

    ├── Catalog\

    ├── SPPMetadataCache\

    └── MediaId.bin

If it has been accidentally renamed or moved, make an attempt to restore it back to the original structure:

Rename backup folder to WindowsImageBackup.

Ensure that MediaID.bin is located inside that directory and not elsewhere.

It is of special importance to have this structure in cases where backup was made using Windows 7 File Recovery.

2: Restore From the Legacy Alternative

Even under Windows 11, attempts could be made via the legacy "Backup and Restore (Windows 7)" interface:

From Control Panel open Backup and Restore (Windows 7).

Click Select another backup to restore files from.

Navigate to the external drive.

Wait for the backup to load and try to restore the .avi files.

In case Windows fails to detect the backup automatically at this step, click Browse for folders and manually point to the WindowsImageBackup folder.

3: Employ a File Recovery Workaround

If restore continues to fail but the .avi files are seen listed:

Instead of the restore tool, attempt direct browsing of the backup files.

Look inside the backup folder tree for .zip or .vhd/.vhdx files (system image possibly).

If .vhd or .vhdx files are present:

Mount them in Windows:

Right-click → Mount,

They will show up as a virtual drive in File Explorer.

Browse and copy files manually.

4: Extract Files with Backup Tools, if Needed

In case of files found in backup archives (.wbcat, .zip, .vhd, etc.), third-party applications could be used:

Veeam Agent (free), for system images.

7-Zip, for .zip-based backup sets.

DiskGenius, can open .vhd, .img and other image types.

Macrium Reflect, can browse and extract from many backup types.

Could you please attempt these steps and tell me how it goes? Should any other errors arise, I would love all the information about these things.

Best regards,

Tin

Answer 3

Hi Tin:

Thanks for responding. I've gone pretty much through all the steps you outlined and verified the file structure in your 1st step (screen 3 below) and the other steps. While I cannot recover my backup files

using windows backup and restore becuse I get the message that the MediaID.bin (which is present) has problems, I can recover smaller files like the ones shown below (screen 1) by doing an extract all.

But, when I have a large file like a movie with multiple backup file segments (screen 2), I can download the individual files but cannot merge them back into a single coherent file. Now I don't know how the mta file (screen 4) may come into play but what I'd really like to do now is recover my movie files in whole.

Windows has been pushing for people to go to computers with windows 11. But what can someone do when in good faith they've backed up their old computer files in windows 10, and now can no longer retrieve those files to their new computer? That stinks

screen 1

screen 2

screen 3

screen 4

Answer 4

Hello JoeLucia1,

You don't need to manually merge .mta files or worry about them. The .mta files are just internal markers. The key is to:

Identify the first Backup files XXX.zip that contains the data of your large .avi file (e.g., Backup files 360.zip for A Simple Plan.avi).

Use an "Extract" function (either Windows' built-in or 7-Zip/WinRAR) on that specific Backup files XXX.zip file. The extraction tool will then automatically reassemble the complete .avi from all the necessary subsequent .zip files in the sequence.

To recover the complete movie files, you need to "extract" them using the "Compressed Folder Tools" or a dedicated archive program like 7-Zip, but from the parent Backup files XXX.zip archive where the actual first segment of the large file resides.

Here's the process you should follow:

Identify the "Master" .zip File:

Look at your screenshot 4 (or similar for other movies). You see A Simple Plan.avi listed as an "MTA File" in Backup files 1.zip. This means the information about A Simple Plan.avi starts here.

Now, look at screenshot 2. You found A Simple Plan.avi listed as a "GOM Media file (.avi)" inside Backup files 360.zip. This Backup files 360.zip is likely the first .zip archive that contains the actual data for this specific movie file. This is the .zip file you need to work with.

Use the "Extract" Function for the Full File:

Navigate to the Backup files XXX.zip that contains the first data segment of your large .avi file. In your example, this would be Backup files 360.zip.

Do NOT open Backup files 360.zip and manually copy the .avi file out. If you do that, you'll only get the first segment of the file, which will be incomplete and unplayable.

Instead, right-click on the Backup files 360.zip file itself (from outside, in the main "Backup Files 2025-04-01 135835" folder).

You should see an option like "Extract All..." (Windows' built-in zip utility) or "7-Zip" -> "Extract files..." / "Extract Here".

Choose "Extract All..." or the equivalent from your chosen archiving tool.

Select a destination folder on your new Windows 11 laptop (e.g., your Desktop, or a new "Recovered Movies" folder).

The crucial step here is that when you extract the Backup files XXX.zip file that begins a multi-part file, the extraction utility will automatically look for and concatenate the subsequent segments from the following .zip files (e.g., Backup files 361.zip, Backup files 362.zip, etc.) to reconstruct the complete original large file.

Why this works:

The .zip files created by Windows Backup are essentially a series of archives that are linked. When you tell an extraction tool to extract a file that has been split across multiple .zip volumes (which is what Windows Backup does for large files), it will automatically seek out and combine the segments from the subsequent archives in the correct order, assuming those subsequent .zip files are present in the same directory.

Steps to follow with your example:

Go to the folder D:\JOESHLAPTOP\backup\Backup Set 2025-04-01 135835\Backup Files 2025-04-01 135835.

Locate Backup files 360.zip.

Right-click on Backup files 360.zip.

Select "Extract All..." (if using Windows built-in) or use 7-Zip/WinRAR's "Extract files..." option.

Choose a destination on your Windows 11 laptop.

The extracted A Simple Plan.avi file should now be a complete, playable movie.

Answer 5

Very happy with the news. I'm glad you found a way to sort it out even if it took a little extra work. Your clear explanation will surely be a big help to others facing similar backup issues.