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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: N. Phoenix AZ USA
Posts: 28,943
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Windows Vista question regarding deleted files
Computer Guru's, have a question for you.
The guy I am working with has a laptop with Windows Vista on it. He bought a USB portable hard drive to store some of his photos, music and so on while out on the road. Copied it from his laptop hard drive to the portable drive, then deleted the original files to make more room. Mistake... One week later the USB drive is tits up. Drive powers up but the heads inside are making all sorts of difficult sounds, banging back and forth against the stops. As usual he deleted much of the info from his laptop hard drive and its stuff that is not replaceable, and of course he did not make a CD/DVD backup. Yes he has learned but its hurting. Two questions. Does Vista have anything like the old Norton Disk Doctor imbedded inside it where we can try to recover the old files if they have not been over-written? Second is if he did a system restore to something like two weeks ago, before he "cut and paste" the files to the USB drive, would he get the data back? TIA, Joe
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2013 Jag XF, 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins (the workhorse), 1992 Jaguar XJ S-3 V-12 VDP (one of only 100 examples made), 1969 Jaguar XJ (been in the family since new), 1985 911 Targa backdated to 1973 RS specs with a 3.6 shoehorned in the back, 1959 Austin Healey Sprite (former SCCA H-Prod), 1995 BMW R1100RSL, 1971 & '72 BMW R75/5 "Toaster," Ural Tourist w/sidecar, 1949 Aeronca Sedan / QB |
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12-31-2007, 04:17 AM
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Registered
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: VA
Posts: 3,573
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Joe, if the files have been deleted from the Recycle Bin, then System Restore is the only hope. I "think" that if they were in the DOCUMENTS folder he should be ok, but I don't believe SR manages other file folders. It is really designed for installed applications, drivers, etc.
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'06 Cayman S '16 Cayenne '08 Audi RS 4 |
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12-31-2007, 04:59 AM
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Semper drive!
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Hey, Joe! Happy New Year to ya!
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but System Restore is probably not gonna get those files back for you. By design, System Restore works mainly with the Registry and System Files on the computer. It typically will leave "production" files, i.e., Word docs, Excel spreadsheets, Image files, etc, alone, since they have nothing to do with how the "system" works. Randy
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84 944 - Alpine White 86 Carrera Targa - Guards Red - My Pelican Gallery - (Gone, but never forgotten  )One Marine's View Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum |
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12-31-2007, 05:03 AM
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Registered
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Sweden
Posts: 5,910
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Deleted files can be restored but YMMV.
It doesn't matter in which folder files were. When you delete them you just delete entries from file-system table. Files are still there on the harddrive. But (there is always a but) if you did lot's of writing on the hardrive after you deleted the files some of sectors where old files were might be overwritten. So some of salvaged files might be corrupt. I recomend following: Don't use the computer that you want your files slavaged from anymore. The less you use it the greater chances of salvaging your files intact are. There is a utility for XP called GetDataBack. It works well. Use this utility and find out how much you can get back. Hopefully most of it is OK. If not and you need them really really much you can take the USB drive to data forensic company. I used IBAS and they should be one of the best in bussines. It's not cheap so you have to weight the value of files. They can open the drives and read the data direct from platters. I believe we are talking about 1-3k$
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Thank you for your time, |
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12-31-2007, 05:05 AM
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: N. Phoenix AZ USA
Posts: 28,943
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Thanks to all and will try the getdataback first then a SR.
I have never worked with Vista. Assume that its a NTFS format hard drive? Thx, Joe
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2013 Jag XF, 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins (the workhorse), 1992 Jaguar XJ S-3 V-12 VDP (one of only 100 examples made), 1969 Jaguar XJ (been in the family since new), 1985 911 Targa backdated to 1973 RS specs with a 3.6 shoehorned in the back, 1959 Austin Healey Sprite (former SCCA H-Prod), 1995 BMW R1100RSL, 1971 & '72 BMW R75/5 "Toaster," Ural Tourist w/sidecar, 1949 Aeronca Sedan / QB |
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12-31-2007, 07:03 AM
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Unfair and Unbalanced
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: From the misty mountains to the bayou country
Posts: 9,711
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On Track is pretty effective also.
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"SARAH'S INSIDE Obama's head!!!! He doesn't know whether to defacate or wind his watch!!!!" ~ Dennis Miller! |
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12-31-2007, 07:20 AM
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The Unsettler
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Lantanna TX
Posts: 23,885
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Joe, verify that the external USB drive is getting enough juice.
Many of them come with two cables, standard USB which in many cases will supply enough juice in addition to data exchange. Sometimes you also need to plug the the wall wart in or use a second USB port on the laptop that plugs into the drives power socket. If they don't get enough juice they will do that clicking thing.
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"I want my two dollars" "Goodbye and thanks for the fish" "Proud Member and Supporter of the YWL" "Brandon Won" |
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12-31-2007, 10:31 AM
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: N. Phoenix AZ USA
Posts: 28,943
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Scott,
Thanks and that was my first thought as well. Used another USB cable and it did the same thing, even on different laptops, so its probably the drive. Trying to recover things now and if not then will go to plan "B"...
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2013 Jag XF, 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins (the workhorse), 1992 Jaguar XJ S-3 V-12 VDP (one of only 100 examples made), 1969 Jaguar XJ (been in the family since new), 1985 911 Targa backdated to 1973 RS specs with a 3.6 shoehorned in the back, 1959 Austin Healey Sprite (former SCCA H-Prod), 1995 BMW R1100RSL, 1971 & '72 BMW R75/5 "Toaster," Ural Tourist w/sidecar, 1949 Aeronca Sedan / QB |
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12-31-2007, 11:17 AM
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The Unsettler
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Lantanna TX
Posts: 23,885
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Quote:
Well, Happy New Year to you anyways. If you are abroad wishing you safe travel back home.
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"I want my two dollars" "Goodbye and thanks for the fish" "Proud Member and Supporter of the YWL" "Brandon Won" |
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12-31-2007, 12:55 PM
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1986 Porsche Carerra Targa 3.2
