You cannot simply double-click it, unzip it, or open it in Notepad. Why? Because MikroTik encrypts and compresses these binary files for security and integrity.
The most reliable way to "read" a backup file without a physical router is to restore it to a virtual Cloud Hosted Router (CHR) . open mikrotik backup file
: 100% accurate, preserves all settings. Cons : Requires a MikroTik device (or VM) and will overwrite its current config. You cannot simply double-click it, unzip it, or
If you are looking at a .backup file and it looks like encrypted garbage, . You cannot simply double-click it