Trying to recover some files from an accidental System Recovery.

[japongt]

Ok, here's the deal. A long time ago, 8 months to be specific, I accidentally did a "System Recovery" on my desktop.Because of this, I lost many files that were important to me. I talked with two different people from the HP customer support to see if there's a chance to recover these files, and tried two different methods. As you may think, neither method helped me so I sort of gave up on those files, cried but there was nothing I could do about it anymore.

Well, those files are still important to me so if there's still I chance I could recover them I would definitely try to do so. Just today, I decided to try a new application called FolderSizes http://www.foldersizes.com/. To my surprise, this handy application tells me that the USERDATA folder is taking 1/3 of my Hard Drive and because I have a limited Hard Drive (160Gb is very little if you ask me).

I always knew there was some traces of my old files in this folder because my AntiSpyware and AntiVirus scanners were always picking up on that folder and telling me those files were there but I NEVER got into that folder.

The application tells me the folder takes 59.3 GB of my HDD, however, when I try to go to that folder through my computer and do a mouse over it tells me it only has 11.7 MB, which is as different as light and dark, when I try to get into it and do another click it tells me "C:\USERDATA\ is not accessible, access denied". There MUST be a way for me to recover those trapped files, I just know it.

So with the help of "Recover My Files", I have a slight possibility of recovering those files back. PLEASE tell me the steps I should follow to finally get them back, I'll be waiting. Thank you very much.

[GDH]

Hi,

It is an interesting situation you have.

There may be a number of different explanations for what you are experiencing with this folder.

Often in these types of cases, it can be as simple explanation. For example,

• are the missing folders hidden? (run a Windows Search of the folder for all files and include in the options to search for hidden files);
  
• have the user permissions have been reset so that you do not have security rights to the folders (in windows explorer, go to the user folder and right click into properties and apply the security rights to all files in the folder).

However in your case, as you have done a system restore in the past it is probably more complicated than that. There is a table at the start of the disk called the Master File Table, which tracks the location of all files an folders on the disk. The system restore may have reset the MFT record for this folder and files to think that it was empty.

It is hard to say what the best approach to get your data back is.

I would try the following...

1. Run Recover My Files. Select "Complete File Search" and click "Add Folder To Search" and go and add the userdata folder to the search. Once added, search ONLY this folder for the specific file types you are looking for. Look both in file view or folder view to see if your missing files can be located.

2. If the above does not work, run another "Complete File Search", but this time search the drive letter.

3. Next run a new search - run a "Complete Format Recover" on the physical drive for the default selected file types and at the end of the search look both in File View and Folder View of the search results screen for your missing files. This is a longer search, so run this one overnight.

It is hard to know in your case which method will find the files - Please let us know how it goes.

Thank you.

[japongt]

I know for sure it is none of the bullets as I have tried that before.

For #1, I did that, Recover My Files said it couldn't find anything in the folder.

I also tried #2 last night but no luck either, all it found was a bunch of random files I had no idea what they were.

On the same night, I tried step #3, and because it seems to take long, I just let my computer run and went to sleep. When I woke up, the computer had frozen.

I am trying the same thing as I'm posting this message, hopefully I have a better luck.

[japongt]

There, it froze again, not the computer but the application itself, it just freezes and I have no idea why...

Trying for a third time.

[GDH]

Hi,

When running a Complete Format Recover (number three) what you want to see in the progress window is "OS ITEMS FOUND = XX" being a very large number. Each OS item represents a file with its full file and folder name. These files are read from the table that is usually very close to the start of the disk. Once this number gets high, and then stops increasing, the MFT has been read and you can click the STOP button and let the program then rebuild the file system. This will greatly shorten the length of time you need to run this search.

Good luck.

[GDH]

Hi,

Click on the live support link at the top of this page and I will see if I can help you via a live chat.


Thanks