Extract text from CardSpace backups (CRDS)
To convert CRDS backups to another format, you need Windows CardSpace or other Backup software.
To convert other file formats to the "Identity Backup File" file type, you need software like Windows CardSpace or a similar tool.
A .CRDS file is an encrypted backup of digital identity cards generated by the legacy Windows CardSpace framework. It securely stores personal identity claims, cryptographic keys, and user authentication data. Historically, this format was managed exclusively by identity software provided by Microsoft as part of the .NET Framework 3.0.
Users typically want to convert .CRDS files to plain XML or TXT formats to recover lost digital credentials or migrate legacy identities to modern password managers. However, the .CRDS format presents severe limitations. It is a closed, proprietary, and heavily encrypted container. Because Windows CardSpace was officially deprecated in 2011, these files are virtually impossible to open on modern operating systems like Windows 11 without configuring a legacy virtual machine. Furthermore, successfully restoring the file always requires the exact PIN or password created during the initial backup process.
Because of this strong encryption and obsolete software dependency, standard online converters consistently fail to process .CRDS files. Often, only the original Microsoft software running on an older OS can properly read or export the encrypted data. Our platform can inspect the raw file headers, extract any unencrypted metadata, and determine if the underlying structure can be analyzed or exported.
Convert.Guru analyzes your CRDS file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert CRDS file to BAK, BACKUP, OLD, TMP, TEMP, ARC, ZIP, TAR, GZ, 7Z, RAR or ISO, you can use Windows CardSpace or similar software from the "Digital Identity Backup" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert SNAPSHOT, OLD, IMG, RESTORE, ISO, COPY, VMDK, TMP, VHD, BAK, ARCHIVE or BACKUP files to CRDS, try Windows CardSpace or another comparable tool in the "Digital Identity 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 CRDS converter.