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How to open .BAK files on Mac

To open .BAK files on Mac, control-click the file, choose Get Info, and inspect the full filename to see whether it is a backup of a known file type, such as .txt.bak or .dwg.bak.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Control-click the file, choose Get Info, and inspect the full filename to see whether it is a backup of a known file type, such as .txt.bak or .dwg.bak.
  2. If it is a backup of a normal document, duplicate the file first, remove the .bak suffix from the copy, and open the copy with the original application.
  3. If the file is plain text, Control-click it, choose Open With, and select a text editor.
  4. For database or CAD backups, use the appropriate desktop application or transfer the file to a system where that application is available.

Alternative methods

  • Open .BAK in a browser-based viewer if desktop apps fail.
  • Try opening .BAK on Mac with a secondary app to rule out app-specific issues.
  • Convert .BAK only with trusted tools when direct opening is not possible.

Common issues

The .BAK file does not open when double-clicked

This is normal because .BAK is a generic backup extension and the operating system may not know which program created it.

  1. Look at the filename, folder, and related files to identify the original application or original extension.
  2. Try opening a copy with the program that created the backup.
  3. If the file is small and likely text-based, inspect it with a text editor.

SQL Server .BAK opens as unreadable data

A SQL Server .BAK file is a database backup, not a document or spreadsheet. It must be restored through SQL Server tools.

  1. Do not edit the .BAK file in a text editor.
  2. Use SQL Server restore functionality to restore the backup to a database.
  3. Restore to a test or non-production database first if you are unsure what the backup contains.

AutoCAD drawing backup will not open

AutoCAD .bak files are backup copies of DWG saves. They usually need to be renamed to .dwg before opening.

  1. Make a copy of the .bak file.
  2. Rename the copy so the extension is .dwg.
  3. Open the renamed copy in AutoCAD.

The restored file is corrupt or incomplete

The backup may have been interrupted, copied incompletely, created by a different application version, or not actually be the file type you expected.

  1. Compare the file size with other known-good backups from the same source.
  2. Get a fresh copy from the original system or backup location if possible.
  3. Try restoring with the exact application that created the backup, or a compatible version.

Security note

.BAK files can contain sensitive data, including full databases, drawings, configuration files, browser data, or personal documents; treat them as confidential backups.

Back to .BAK extension page