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Recovering lost data?

Blogs > FR4CT4L
Post a Reply
FR4CT4L
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
Australia697 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-07-30 15:58:03
July 30 2009 13:16 GMT
#1
EDIT #2

Fixed

Turns out after a little snooping that the software file with in system32/config is in fact a collection of your registry data, and thus by moving in a fresh copy I created a new mesh of the files that I had on my hard-drive and the ones windows believed I had. After learning that, I learned that I could load up the old registry in regedit, and tweak the appropriate values relating to logging into my PC.

Thus I can log-in and everything is as it once was! Thanks everyone for all your help.


Story

Today I ran into a really crazy problem involving windows rapidly logging in and out and making my computer un-useable. After trying some solutions and fixing that problem I find out that my windows is back to factory settings and had to be registered again. Ok no drama.

Then as it would happen I find out this has removed all of the folders on my desktop and erased everything in my documents. These two places are where I had been keeping alot of downloads and some legit software back-ups.

Can anyone help me to recover these files? I'm pretty desperate.

EDIT :

For a little more info the solution to my log-in log-off loop involved changing a system32 file called software to software.old and copying a fresh copy from the back up D : hard-drive.

Upon closer inspection the amount of freespace on my hard-disk is not consistent with my data actually having been deleted.

Though if I restore that file my log-in log-off loop may return. Any ideas?

Veni, vidi, vici!
jello_biafra
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
United Kingdom6637 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-07-30 13:28:14
July 30 2009 13:23 GMT
#2
That sounds awful man. I'm not too sure about this myself but a quick search found this, worth a try I guess.


1. You stop using that drive.
by R. Proffitt Moderator - 12/31/06 10:54 AM In reply to: Recovering deleted files after reset to factory default by hchapjian

The moment we discover this, the unit is powered off to stop the machine from overwriting more files.

2. We try Zero Assumption Recovery.

But how you ask since we can't use the machine. This is how. We pull the drive and place it as slave on another working machine and see what ZAR finds. If it finds what we need, we pay up and get the files back.

3. If ZAR doesn't work.

Head to drivesavers.com or others and ask for the price.



I did the same thing a while back with my wife's laptop and thought I had lost a year's worth of photos. I even reinstalled Windows and deleted her previous user profile, and was still able to get all of the files back. I quit using the computer as soon as I realized I had deleted the files, so that the files wouldn't get overwritten.

Windows only "marks" files as deleted, even when you delete from the recycle bin or reformat your drive. They can often still be recovered.

There's a program called File Recover from PC Tools that will at least tell you what files can be recovered. It identifies the contents of such lost files on the hard drive and allows you to recover the ones that are recoverable.
Source(s):
http://www.rickysays.com/recover-deleted-files


These might be worth a look too:
http://www.overclock.net/amd-general/348293-any-way-recover-photos-after-factory.html
http://www.askageek.com/2008/12/23/recover-lost-files-after-restoring-my-computer-to-factory-settings/
The road to hell is paved with good intentions | aka Probert[PaiN] @ iccup / godlikeparagon @ twitch | my BW stream: http://www.teamliquid.net/video/streams/jello_biafra
wo0py
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
Netherlands922 Posts
July 30 2009 13:30 GMT
#3
Yea, if you have an other pc put the 'dead' drive in as a slave drive to check what is still on it.
If you can;t acces the drive on the 2nd pc then you should go to a professional because there is nothing to do basicly.
We shouldnt recreate anger of the non-virtual world
FR4CT4L
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
Australia697 Posts
July 30 2009 13:34 GMT
#4
Thanks guys, I'll have to see if my local computer shop can do anything as the other computer in the house is the laptop I'm on now.

Don't think the parents will be happy when they see that Outlook got wiped.

Hopefully should all else fail I can have a ZAR work.
Veni, vidi, vici!
wo0py
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
Netherlands922 Posts
July 30 2009 13:37 GMT
#5
Hmm yea. that's fucked. Losing emails and contacts..

Well they better be starting to make backups now.
We shouldnt recreate anger of the non-virtual world
FR4CT4L
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
Australia697 Posts
July 30 2009 13:49 GMT
#6
Well Ironically I got an external HD the other week and was slowly making back-ups of alot of things just in case.

Such is life I guess.
Veni, vidi, vici!
wo0py
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
Netherlands922 Posts
July 30 2009 13:58 GMT
#7
haha good work! i better get my hdd and backups ready too asap
We shouldnt recreate anger of the non-virtual world
konadora *
Profile Blog Joined February 2009
Singapore66201 Posts
July 30 2009 13:59 GMT
#8
Someone get R1CH or MoC in here
POGGERS
Archaic
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
United States4024 Posts
July 30 2009 14:31 GMT
#9
On July 30 2009 22:37 wo0py wrote:
Hmm yea. that's fucked. Losing emails and contacts..

Well they better be starting to make backups now.

Only time I've ever lost my data is when my backup drive was reset to factory settings. I keep my music library stored on it, bunch of movies and other data. Ironic, no?
epicdoom
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
United States489 Posts
July 30 2009 14:58 GMT
#10
Don't get your hopes up, but you can TRY this program called Recuva. It's made by the same people who did Ccleaner and basically recovers files that have been deleted. But I'm not sure if it'll work because you said the files lost were not consistent with the amount of free space available. But give it a shot and see if you can recover a few things.
http://www.recuva.com/
HaFnium
Profile Blog Joined December 2006
United Kingdom1074 Posts
July 30 2009 15:13 GMT
#11
Hm...
I once have a crashed SD card, and I found many programmes that help you to recover lost data.
Only 1 work, it should be the PCI Inspector, try google it, its free as well

Good luck
BW forever!
Shad0w59
Profile Joined December 2008
United Kingdom43 Posts
July 30 2009 15:38 GMT
#12
http://www.recuva.com/ is really good like epicdoom said.
HeavOnEarth
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
United States7087 Posts
July 30 2009 15:40 GMT
#13
so you didn't know reformatting your computer would erase all your files?
"come korea next time... FXO house... 10 korean, 10 korean"
FR4CT4L
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
Australia697 Posts
July 30 2009 16:00 GMT
#14
On July 31 2009 00:40 HeavOnEarth wrote:
so you didn't know reformatting your computer would erase all your files?


Yep, but I confused what happened when I re-named the software file with a reformat. The end effect was pretty much Identical. Was in panic-mode at the time as well.
Veni, vidi, vici!
sterkgixr1
Profile Joined July 2020
1 Post
Last Edited: 2020-07-30 09:23:49
July 30 2020 09:23 GMT
#15
Bot edit.

User was banned for this post.
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