How to recover deleted files after destructive recovery

[zip316]

Hello,I did a destructive recovery on my pc Thursday August 12 2010 . I saved all my folders etc on a external hard drive or so I thought.

After I got the pc cranked back up and hooked the external harddrive back up, I found the MY Documents folder was gone.

Can anyone help, Thanks in advance.

 

[Jonmor68]

Did you check the external drive after you backed up to make sure the files were in fact copied over? How did you do the backup? Is there anything on the drive at all?

 

[zip316]

There is 297 Gb's worth of stuff on the external hd but the My Documents folder isnt there. When I highlighted and drug My Shared folder it took 40 minutes to copy it, but with My Documents it copied it in about 3 minutes. Thanks for your reply

 

[Guest]

You're SOL!

 

[zip316]

Thanks for your reply But I think it can be fixed I have confidence someone on here will be able to help.

 

[ohiou_grad_06]

Might possibly be able to scan the drive with a program like recuva, or a similar app that can scan for deleted files. Maybe you will get lucky and it'll catch something still there.

 

[Guest]

Believe me when I tell you you're not going to recover anything. I've tried it myself on customer's computers that formated their hard drive and the chances are slim and none.

 

[zip316]

I had to take it to a local computer repair guy Friday and so far late Friday evening he had recovered 1/4 of the folder.He told me that he will have it all by Tuesday . He said he "goes under windows os and recovers data, he 's pulled up some stuff I had deleted 2 years ago. He also found My Docoments folder on the external harddrive also but he wont bother that unless he cant recover all the stuff from the computer.

It costs a pretty penny though and I had to pay him up front .Thanks for all the replies and help from you guys.

 

[Guest]

I'd like to know what software he's using. Are you sure you did a "destructive recovery"? Something sounds fishy.

 

[ohiou_grad_06]

Yeah most of the time, you are limited to software unless you've got a clean room. But a destructive deletion sounds like you wrote zeros to the drive, which usually destroys the data. So not sure what he's using.

 

[zip316]

I definitely did a "destructive recovery" and I wish I knew what software he uses too, I wouldnt be here or wouldnt have had to pay him ,would I?

 

[Guest]

Just out of curiosity, what is your definition of a destructive recovery?

 

[zip316]

What I did was to bring the computer back to the condition it was in when I first got it. On my computer when it first cranks up I start tapping the F-8 key until it shows the system restore screen. When I clicked destuctive it totally wiped out the hard drive and restored it to factory condition.

 

[zip316]

Best answer selected by zip316.