Help - just lost my digital interview files for my dissertation :(

[jmh777]

Hi,
I'm not sure where it is appropriate to post this, so forgive me if there is already something addressing this someplace.... I am desperate. I just lost a bunch of my dissertation data and I have no idea how it even happened. I was downloading voice files from my digital recorder to a folder on my desktop in which I kept my interviews (and stupidly did not make a hard copy...!!!) When I unplugged the digital recorder and went to my desktop, the folder and my voice files were gone. I hadn't kept them on the recorder because I only have two hours of memory (my cat attacked my memory stick sometime over the past two days while I was out of town, but that's another nightmare for another time)... I ran a search of my C drive and can't find them.... Freaking out totally here... any guidance or suggestions would be so very appreciated - thanks so much... I have a Dell Latitude 410 and was using a Sony ICD MX20 recorder...

Back again - have found, purchased and run the software w/ filter set for "interview" (all digital file names include this) and searched all audio-type files available on Recover my Data - have not been able to recover my date ......

j

[GDH]

What was the extension of the files? Were they .dss or .dvf files? If so, run a Complete File Search of the "physical drive" for these two file types (located in the Multimedia section of the file selection list).

[jmh777]

Hi,
They were "MSV" files, which stands for "memory stick voice files". When I saved them from the digital recorder to my computer, I had options as to how to save them (what kind of file format) and I just left it to the default which was "save as is" (MSV)..... I haven't found the equivalent of this sort of file under the audio options, so I selected all the audio options and did a complete scan - took about 24 hours and didn't come up with anything. Any other ideas as to how to search for msv files? Thanks so much,
j

[GDH]

Do you have any sample MSV files that you could send me.

Thank you.