Extract text from Backup files (OLD)
To convert OLD Backups to another format, you need Windows File Explorer or other Backup software.
To convert other file formats to the "File Revision Backup" file type, you need software like Windows File Explorer or a similar tool.
A .OLD file is a universal naming convention used to back up files before they are modified, replaced, or updated. Unlike standard file formats, the .old extension does not dictate the internal structure of the data. It simply serves as a protective marker. It is widely used by operating systems, software installers, and games to keep legacy data safe. Common examples include Google LevelDB database logs, Valheim character backups, and Autodesk Inventor project files.
The primary disadvantage of a .OLD file is that appending the extension hides the file's true identity from your operating system. Because the original extension (such as EXE, ZIP, or DOCX) is masked, Windows or macOS will not know which application to use to read the data. Double-clicking the file throws a system error. To make matters worse, system-level backups (like windows.old) can silently consume hundreds of gigabytes of disk space, requiring specialized disk cleanup tools to remove.
To view or utilize a .OLD file, you must first discover its original format. The easiest fix is often renaming the file to remove the .old suffix. If the original format is unknown, drop your file here to analyze and convert it - free, online, and without installing software.
Convert.Guru analyzes your OLD file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted LDB, ODT, LOG, BOOKMARKS, MANIFEST-000001, CURRENT, JPG, PDF, CMP, LOGIN DATA, XLB, LUA and DAT files.
If you want to convert OLD file to BAK, BACKUP, TMP, TEMP, ARC, ZIP, TAR, GZ, 7Z, RAR, ISO or IMG, you can use Windows File Explorer or similar software from the "Generic File Revision Backup" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert SNAPSHOT, IMG, RESTORE, ISO, COPY, VMDK, TMP, VHD, BAK, ARCHIVE, BACKUP or RAR files to OLD, try Windows File Explorer or another comparable tool in the "Generic File Revision 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 OLD converter.