I have lost critical files... help!

moovyz · Jan 6, 2011

I have a light duty desktop with Windows Vista Home Basic.

It has a partition on the hard drive (D

for backups but it has been too low on memory for quite a while and I can't figure out how to create more space, but that's a whole different problem.

So I have been backing up my computer on an external Cavalry 1TB drive that recently crashed. And now I have lost a lot of files on my PC. My wife thinks they've been gone a few weeks but I think it's just since a recent Windows Update. I had startup problems after one I did this past week.

Most of the files show up in "Documents\Recent" but when I clik on any of them I get a grey box that says:

"The item_______.txt that this shortcut refers to has been changed or moved so this shortcut will no longer work properly"

I am a free lance writer and I have 9 chapters of a novel that are now gone. The file name did appear at one point in the list but now even that has disappeared.

I have tried to do a restore but I can't get a restore date older than 3 days ago (I wish it was like XP used to be where you could go back many months!).

I have no idea what to do next. Has anyone else had this issue after an Update? Are these files gone forever?

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. The lost file represents more than 2 months work. Please help!

richc46 · Jan 6, 2011

Your computer has a hidden function, it makes copies of your documents.
Use this software to find if you have any copies (shadow copies)
ShadowExplorer.com - About
http://www.mydigitallife.info/2008/...a-home-basic-and-premium-with-shadowexplorer/

If that does not work try to use this software
http://www.piriform.com/recuva

System restore will not bring back personal files.
Actually, however you may have more than 3 points, there is a box that must be checked to see them.
Finally, use the hard drive as little as possible until you recover the documents. Each use makes them harder to locate.

Lorien · Jan 7, 2011

Hi moovyz,

Welcome to Vista Forums!

Documents/Recent are just shortcuts to the real files - they contain none of the data. If the real files are deleted, the shortcuts won't work. These shortcuts stay in Documents/Recent even if the real files are deleted (it's not how I would have programmed it - but it's how it works in Vista) but they don't work as the real files are missing.

As Richard said, System Restore will not help as this involves data files and System Restore does not restore deleted or modified data files (or remove data files added since the restore point). It's purpose is to restore almost everything else but data files.

***********************************************

First check the Recycle Bin to see if they are there. If so, just restore them and you’re good to go.

If you have Vista Business, Vista Ultimate, or Vista Enterprise (which doesn't seem to apply here) you may be in luck. They have what is known as Shadow Copies which are saves of deleted or modified files which can be retrieved in case the changes/deletions were done in error. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/features/shadow-copy.aspx with further information on how to use this feature at: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/howdoi/?p=145.

If you have Vista Basic or Vista Premium (as appears to be the case), Shadow Copies is not available (well, technically not accessible) with the basic program; however, there's an alternative that's free and mirrors the functionality of Shadow Copies called Shadow Explorer. http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/recover-files-with-shadow-copies-on-any-version-of-windows-vista/. Please download and install it to see if it works.

In case this doesn't work (not all files are available through Shadow Copies/Shadow Explorer - it occurs periodically), here are some additional free recovery programs which might help. Files aren't actually deleted until they are overwritten (though they're no longer available through conventional methods). If you decide to try these recovery programs, you should stop using your hard drive immediately so you don't overwrite the data you are trying to recover. Slave it to another PC and run the recovery from that PC. Even now you may have permanently lost some of them if you're using that same PC. If you can't do that (slave to another PC), you run the risk of overwriting the data with every action you do on the PC (but you still may be able to recover some or most or even all of the files - it's a matter of luck).

Recuva - Undelete, Unerase, File and Disk Recovery - Free Download (try Recuva first as it is the best of these choices).

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/diskdigger.html (try this second - if it doesn’t work either chances of recovery are very slim but you can try the other options if you wish)

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/easusdfr.html

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/restoration.html

http://www.snapfiles.com/downloads/recuva/dlrecuva.html

http://www.softperfect.com/products/filerecovery/

http://techpaul.wordpress.com/2008/06/23/how-to-recover-your-lost-files/

Only you can decide if the data is important enough to take the PC to a data recovery expert to recover the files (they will have better programs and equipment to do so than any of us do and than I provided above). Do NOT go to Geek Squad or any of those big store centers - they mostly don't know what they're doing - take it to a data recovery expert. It will cost quite a bit (I mean, a LOT) and they usually offer no guarantees – you typically pay the same price if they recover everything or if they recover nothing. The decision is yours.

I hope this helps.

Good luck!

richc46 · Jan 7, 2011

Although all the suggestions are valid, personally, I would start with Shadow Explorer it has helped many and possibly it will eliminate a lot of unnecessary steps. It is the suggested way to go, it was even recommened a second time in this thread.
Let us know how you made out. It does depend on restore points. Hopefully you do go back far enough, lets see. It seems that it was suggested twice.

Lorien · Jan 7, 2011

richc46 said:
Although all the suggestions are valid, personally, I would start with Shadow Explorer it has helped many and possibly it will eliminate a lot of unnecessary steps.
Let us know how you made out. It does depend on restore points. Hopefully you do go back far enough, lets see.

I agree. Thats why after checking the Recycle Bin (which is what I would do first as it is by far the easiest and simplest method if the files are there), I listed trying Shadow Explorer next. If it works, the remaining steps aren't required. If it doesn't work, the remaining steps are there as options to try to get anything Shadow Explorer did not recover (assuming it recovered anything or recovered only some of the files). Obviously, once you've recovered all the files, you can ignore any further procedures as the problem is resolved.

I'm sorry if that wasn't clear to everyone.

Good luck!

richc46 · Jan 7, 2011

TY for making yourself clear, it is best that the OP understand what is being suggested. We both seem to agree on Process Explorer as it was suggested twice..

Lorien · Jan 7, 2011

richc46 said:
TY for making yourself clear, it is best that the OP understand what is being suggested. We both seem to agree on Process Explorer as it was suggested twice..

You mean Shadow Explorer - but yes, we do agree.

derekimo · Jan 7, 2011

richc46 said:
TY for making yourself clear, it is best that the OP understand what is being suggested. We both seem to agree on Process Explorer as it was suggested twice..

I'll agree with that as well, so make it three times.

@ moovyz, Let us know how any of the suggestions have turned out for you, you have plenty to start with so we'll wait to hear back from you.

richc46 · Jan 7, 2011

TY for the correction on Shadow Explorer. Although I try to give the one piece of advice, that is best, to avoid confusion, mistakes may sometimes occur. Thanks for giving us that additional information.

richc46 · Jan 7, 2011

Take a look in the recycle bin, and it may not be there then try Shadow Explorer.

Lorien · Jan 7, 2011

Hi marksteyn,

Did you change your username as the first post and this last post are the first posts by different users and I'd like to be certain we are dealing with the same person and not somebody different with a similar problem who is posting here instead of starting a new thread (even if the reply suggests it is the same person)? This thread belongs to moovyz. If you are the same person, fine. If not, I apologize to moovyz for replying here to that post and perhaps causing some confusion. If it is someone else, please create your own thread. We will not deal with two people at the same time in the same thread as that causes confusion and could lead to inappropriate advice being given to or taken by the wrong person. What follows assumes I'm dealing with the same person.

As mentioned in my initial post, the files in Documents/Recent are all shortcuts and are not real files and do not mean that the real files still exist. When files are deleted, if they were recently opened, the shortcuts continue to exist in Documents/Recent. This does not help us retrieve the lost files or provide any evidence that they exist. If I had programmed the system, I probably would have included code to remove shortcuts to deleted files from the Documents/Recent folder when the files are deleted, but I had nothing to do with it and that is how Vista works.

What do you mean by the "c back up file"? I'm not at all sure to what you are referring. Do you have a backup somewhere of the lost data that can be restored? Can you please provide the entire file path to this backup file (and its name and extension) if it is on your system. For example, C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Backups\<backupfilename.extension>.

Thanks!

derekimo · Jan 7, 2011

I'm pretty sure they are different posters Lorien, different join dates anyway.

I guess we need moovyz to post back now to actually go further.

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