Extract text from Cook'n cookbook backups (CK9)
To convert CK9 backups to another format, you need Cook'n or other Backup software.
To convert other file formats to the "Recipe Backup Archive" file type, you need software like Cook'n or a similar tool.
A .CK9 file is a proprietary backup archive generated by Cook'n, a digital recipe organizer developed by DVO Enterprises. It stores personal recipes, daily menus, nutritional data, and grocery lists. Users typically open and restore these files directly within the Cook'n desktop application.
The primary disadvantage of the .CK9 format is its closed, restrictive ecosystem. You cannot natively open these files in standard text editors, web browsers, or alternative recipe managers. Sharing a family recipe is impossible if you send a raw .CK9 file to someone without a paid Cook'n license.
Users frequently need to migrate their data to universal formats. The best target formats are PDF for easy printing, TXT for plain text storage, or HTML for web viewing. However, standard online converters consistently fail to process .CK9 files because the database structure is hidden and undocumented. Usually, only the original software can properly read or export the data. Our analyzer inspects the raw file contents. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format - such as a standard compressed zip structure or raw XML text - viewing or extracting your locked recipes may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your CK9 file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert CK9 file to , you can use Cook'n or similar software from the "Recipe Database Backup" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to CK9, try Cook'n or another comparable tool in the "Recipe Database Backup" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our CK9 converter.