try { // Deserialize from a file File file = new File("filename.ser"); ObjectInputStream in = new ObjectInputStream(new FileInputStream(file)); // Deserialize the object javax.swing.JButton button = (javax.swing.JButton) in.readObject(); in.close(); // Get some byte array data byte[] bytes = getBytesFromFile(file); // see Reading a File into a Byte Array for the implementation of this method // Deserialize from a byte array in = new ObjectInputStream(new ByteArrayInputStream(bytes)); button = (javax.swing.JButton) in.readObject(); in.close(); } catch (ClassNotFoundException e) { } catch (IOException e) { }