IV2I Converter

Extract text from Incremental backup files (IV2I)

Select File
Drop or upload your .IV2I file

Online File Converter

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How to extract text from your IV2I file

Click the "Select File" button above, and choose your IV2I file.
You’ll see a preview, if available.
Click the "Convert file to..." button to extract text information.

Convert IV2I to another file type

To convert IV2I Backups to another format, you need Symantec System Recovery or other Disk Image software.

Convert a file to IV2I

To convert other file formats to the "Incremental Virtual Volume" file type, you need software like Symantec System Recovery or a similar tool.

About IV2I files

The .iv2i file is a proprietary Incremental Virtual Volume Image created by Symantec System Recovery (formerly Norton Ghost). Unlike a standalone backup, this file functions as a "delta" container, storing only the data sectors that changed since the last backup was run.

The "Missing Base" Problem

Users often attempt to open an .iv2i file in isolation, which is technically impossible. To view or convert the data, you must possess the entire "Recovery Point Set," which includes:

The original Base Image (v2i).
All preceding incremental files (e.g., _i001.iv2i, _i002.iv2i).
The System Index file (sv2i).

Without the base v2i file, the .iv2i is essentially a locked puzzle with missing pieces. These files are also heavily compressed and encrypted, preventing third-party tools like 7-Zip from extracting contents.

Best Conversion Targets

Once you locate the full chain, the most practical workflow is converting the proprietary Symantec image into a standard virtual disk for modern use:

For Virtualization (.VMDK / .VHD): Use the "One-Time Virtual Conversion" feature within Veritas System Recovery to output a file compatible with VMware ESXi or Microsoft Hyper-V. This allows you to boot the old backup as a virtual machine.
For File Recovery: Mount the recovery point as a virtual drive letter within Windows using the System Recovery browser to copy specific files out.

Convert.Guru analyzes your IV2I file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.

Users also converted GHO, GHS and V2I files.

FAQ

If you want to convert IV2I file to BAK, BACKUP, OLD, TMP, TEMP, ARC, ZIP, TAR, GZ, 7Z, RAR or ISO, you can use Symantec System Recovery or similar software from the "Incremental Disk 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 IV2I, try Symantec System Recovery or another comparable tool in the "Incremental Disk Backup" category.

The IV2I Converter Story

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 IV2I converter.