FastBCP 1.6: Export Tables from SQL Server Backups

FastBCP 1.6 now reads a table directly from a SQL Server full backup and writes it to Parquet without restoring the database or requiring a SQL Server instance, using a new backup_mssql connection type backed by the ArpeMSBackup driver. The tool supports full and copy-only full backups from SQL Server 2017 through 2025, including striped and compressed backups, and covers rowstore, columnstore and most common data types, though it rejects differential, log, TDE and encrypted backups. Exported files can be loaded via FastTransfer into any SQL Server version—including older releases than the source—or into PostgreSQL, a scenario native RESTORE cannot handle. The release matters because it lets teams query and migrate data from backups without provisioning an instance or waiting on a full restore. Next, watch whether FastBCP adds output formats beyond Parquet and support for differential or log backups.