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  • (January 12, 2023, 01:18:11 AM)

Author Topic: Data loss on a Vista PC  (Read 3139 times)

tweek

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Data loss on a Vista PC
« on: February 02, 2009, 12:41:12 PM »
My PC stopped loading Vista last night.  I wasn't worried at first, because I've got an Ubuntu disc lying around, and I figured I could pull off all my important documents/data before trying to repair or reinstall Windows.  The problem is that my harddrive seems to have reverted back to Aug. 16, 2008 (the date I got this PC).  This means I'm missing lots and lots of data from the last 5+ months.  I noticed this problem before I tried using restore points to reboot Windows, and restore points shouldn't have fucked up non-system files anyway.  What's really baffling me though isn't that recent data is gone, some old data (MP3s I deleted weeks ago) are back on my drive.  This data should have been overwritten.  I don't get it.  Does anyone know why my HD is reverting back 5 months just because Windows stopped working?

I've been googling, but I'm having trouble coming up with search terms that yield relevant data. 

Edit: As a clarification, Windows is still not working.  I'm doing this all on Ubuntu.  Repairing Windows did not work, and I don't want to try reinstalling it until I've retrieved my data.
« Last Edit: February 02, 2009, 01:20:44 PM by tweek »
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Demosthenes

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Re: Data loss on a Vista PC
« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2009, 01:02:45 PM »
If you go to the properties of one of your data folders, is there a "previous versions" tab, like in this screenshot?
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tweek

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Re: Data loss on a Vista PC
« Reply #2 on: February 02, 2009, 01:12:39 PM »
Nope.
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Demosthenes

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Re: Data loss on a Vista PC
« Reply #3 on: February 02, 2009, 02:53:34 PM »
Then I gots nothin'.  Sorry man.  What you need is a backup.
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RelandR

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Re: Data loss on a Vista PC
« Reply #4 on: February 02, 2009, 03:46:45 PM »
This data recovery chingadira worked well for me, $99 but now it's always handy.

You need a separate larger drive to transfer your salvage to. It will group them by file types with file size indicated but names are replaced with numbers (dodges the index) so you have to go through it all to find what's what.
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RelandR

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Re: Data loss on a Vista PC
« Reply #5 on: February 02, 2009, 04:22:06 PM »
By the way ...

Only the index to the data is deleted, the data itself still exists until it's address is re-assigned and subsequently overwritten.

In the case of a roll back feature, the original reference is stored separate as a back up index file and the disk address is (usually) not touched to serve the purpose of that feature.

That is why you have old stuff restored and also why your recent stuff should still exist and be recoverable... unless windows or some other viral entity went apeshit and performed a permanent deletion.
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tweek

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Re: Data loss on a Vista PC
« Reply #6 on: February 02, 2009, 04:57:30 PM »
I added many, many gigs worth of videos, so I assumed I'd overwritten the deleted files.  It is possible though. 

80% of my data is backed up on DVDs and external hard drives.  The data I've lost is recent files I was organizing before burning.  Most of the movies are replaceable but some concert pictures and my up-to-date Firefox profile are victims.  I'm assuming this stuff is still recoverable though.  I didn't run any program that was meant to wipe out user data (or roll it back).  This seems like a freak a occurrence. 
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Demosthenes

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Re: Data loss on a Vista PC
« Reply #7 on: February 02, 2009, 05:26:05 PM »
Ever since The Great Partition Tragedy Of December 2003™ for me, I've always kept most of my important stuff mirrored on at least one additional machine.

I only lost 8 gigs of data in that particular incident, but it was some hard-if-not-impossible-to-replace stuff, most of it.  Pretty much all of my old FARK photoshops, a lot of music I don't have anymore, and tons and tons of photos I didn't have in any other format.

It usually takes an incident like that to teach one the importance of backups.  Sounds like you just got burned in a way that'll likely change how you do things, Tweek. :)

For what it's worth, I feel for ya.
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jeee

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Re: Data loss on a Vista PC
« Reply #8 on: February 27, 2009, 04:49:12 AM »
I have a version of this one: http://www.easeus.com/datarecoverywizard/

It also recovers raw data quite well.
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