SQL BAK File Converter

Convert a .bak File Without a Restore

Univik opens a SQL Server backup file (.bak) directly and exports the tables inside to CSV, Excel, SQL and more. It reads compressed and plain backups, so you get the data with no SQL Server and no restore.

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Starting from $99

No Restore Needed: Read the .bak as a file, with no SQL Server running.
Reads Compressed Backups: Opens MS_XPRESS and ZSTD backups, not just plain ones.
Every Table Out: Export to CSV, Excel, SQL, JSON, XML, Parquet or Access.
Corrupt or Detached Source: Pull data a restore cannot reach.
Offline and Private: The backup never leaves your machine, unlike an online converter.

Univik SQL BAK Converter box

Why Univik

Extract the Data From a .bak File

A restore needs a matching SQL Server and a healthy file. Univik needs neither. It reads the backup as a file, so you can extract data from a .bak file with no server at all.

No RESTORE, No Server

Univik opens the .bak on its own. There is no instance to spin up and no RESTORE DATABASE to run.

Compressed Backups Too

Many SQL Server backups are compressed. Univik reads the MS_XPRESS format at every transfer size and the ZSTD format from SQL Server 2025, where most tools give up.

Nine Export Formats

Send the tables to CSV, Excel, a SQL script, JSON, XML, Parquet or Access, with SQL and JSON offered in two forms each.

Sees Inside the Backup

Univik lists the databases and tables held in the file, so you pick exactly what you want out.

Works on Broken Backups

A recovery mode reads damaged and truncated backups at a low level, so a file that will not restore can still give up its data.

Read Only and Safe

The backup is opened read only and never changed, so it is safe to run on your only copy.

Why Convert From the .bak Directly

A restore rebuilds the whole database onto a server just to read a few tables. When you only need the data or no matching server is on hand, that is a lot of overhead. Reading the backup as a file skips all of it and gives you a clean export in a single pass. It also works in the cases where a restore simply will not run, from a version mismatch to a damaged file. It all runs on your own machine, so a backup full of customer or financial data never has to be uploaded to an online converter.

The Steps

How to Convert a .bak File

Four steps to convert a .bak to CSV, Excel or a SQL script.

Open the .bak file: Select the SQL Server backup in Univik. No SQL Server and no restore is needed.
Pick the tables: Univik lists the databases and tables inside the backup, so you choose what to export.
Choose a format: Export to CSV, Excel, a SQL script, JSON, XML, Parquet or Access.
Save the output: Write the files to a folder you choose, ready to open and use.

Output

Export a .bak to CSV, Excel and More

Convert a .bak to SQL for another database, to CSV for a spreadsheet or to Parquet for analytics. Each is the format your next step needs.

CSV

Excel XLSX

SQL (schema + data)

SQL (schema only)

JSON Lines

JSON array

XML

Parquet

Access

Comparison

Univik vs a Full Restore

Two ways to get at the data in a backup.

Univik Converter

No Server: Reads the .bak with nothing installed.
Compressed or Plain: Handles MS_XPRESS and ZSTD backups.
Straight to Data: Export the tables straight away.
Broken Backups: Pulls data a restore cannot.
Read Only: The backup is never touched.

Full RESTORE

Server Needed: A matching SQL Server must be ready.
Version Locked: A newer backup will not restore to an older server.
Whole Database: Rebuilds everything to read a few tables.
Stops on Damage: A corrupt backup blocks the restore.
Disk Heavy: Needs room for the full database.

Data Sheet

Converter Specifications

Product details, source support and requirements.

Product Name:	Univik SQL BAK Converter
Version:	6.7 (Latest)
Source Files:	SQL Server backup (.bak), compressed or plain, from a full database backup.
Compression:	MS_XPRESS at all transfer sizes and ZSTD from SQL Server 2025 (bundled libzstd).
Source Versions:	SQL Server 2000 to 2025
Output:	CSV, Excel, SQL script, JSON, XML, Parquet and Access.
Live Restore:	Push the extracted tables straight into a running SQL Server (CREATE TABLE and bulk copy).
Platforms:	Windows 11 and 10 (64-bit), Windows Server 2016 and later.
Prerequisites:	.NET Framework 4.8 or higher. No SQL Server or SSMS needed.
License Price:	Starting from $99 Buy Now

Help & Support

.bak Converter Questions

Common questions about converting SQL Server backups.

Yes. Univik reads the .bak backup directly from disk, lists the tables inside and exports them, with no SQL Server, no instance and no restore. The backup file is all you need.

Univik exports the tables inside a backup to CSV, Excel, a SQL script, JSON, XML, Apache Parquet or Access. Each table can go to its own file or the whole set at once.

Yes. Univik reads both plain and compressed backups. It handles the MS_XPRESS compression SQL Server uses at every transfer size and reads the ZSTD compression from SQL Server 2025 through a bundled libzstd.

Backups from SQL Server 2000 through 2025 are supported, including 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022. The version is read from the file automatically.

Often yes. A dedicated recovery mode reads damaged and truncated backups, pulling data from a file that will not restore. For the worst cases, run Univik SQL Backup Recovery first, then export.

No. The .bak opens in read only mode and is never modified. All output goes to new files you choose, so the conversion is safe to run on your only copy.

Yes. Univik works as a .bak file viewer as well as a converter. It lists the databases and tables inside the backup, so you can view a .bak file and see its contents before you export.

Yes. Export the tables to Excel or CSV and open them straight away. Do not rename a .bak to .xls, which only shows scrambled data. Univik writes proper spreadsheets that Excel reads.

Yes. Univik lists every table in the backup, so you export just the ones you need. A restore in SQL Server brings back the whole database, with no way to pick one table.

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