All my files are missing!

[Guest]

turned on the computer, it showed that it wanted to install something, so i
ran thru it and installed it... all of a sudden all of my personal files and
anything that i added onto my computer since it was bought is gone! what do i
do here? can i get them back?

 

[Alias]

turned on the computer, it showed that it wanted to install something, so i
ran thru it and installed it... all of a sudden all of my personal files and
anything that i added onto my computer since it was bought is gone! what do i
do here? can i get them back?

What was the name of the program you installed? I trust you back up your
data. If not, now you know that back up is a computer user's best
friend. Mikesg's advice may very well work. If it does, devise a back up
routine, like to a CD, DVD or external hard drive.

Alias

 

[Guest]

Thanks! I will try it and keep ya posted!

 

[Malke]

Try running system restore first... don't install the file if it asks
again, then run a good scan of virus and trojan scanners. Let us know
the results.

Please quote at least some of the post to which you are replying for
clarity. Also, since you are posting on a web "forum" which is really
just slurping Usenet posts, consider using a real newsreader to access
Usenet. Here are a few links to help you with that:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet
http://aumha.org/nntp.htm - list of MS newsgroups
http://michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm - Set Up
Newsreader
http://rickrogers.org/setupoe.htm

Your suggestions will not help the Original Poster (OP). It appears that
she has run an OEM Recovery process that has returned her computer to
factory condition. We don't know why she did that because her post is
so vague. Here is her post:

"turned on the computer, it showed that it wanted to install something,
so i ran thru it and installed it... all of a sudden all of my personal
files and anything that i added onto my computer since it was bought is
gone! what do i do here? can i get them back?"

The answer is that she cannot get them back without running data
recovery software and perhaps not then. First, she should do *nothing*
further on the computer. The more she uses it, the greater her chances
are of destroying the data. She should contact a professional computer
repair shop (not her local version of BigStoreUSA) to see if they have
the necessary recovery software and skills. If no one is available
locally, she should contact a professional data recovery firm. I like
DriveSavers (www.drivesavers.com) but there are others. These
companies' services are not inexpensive, but only the OP can determine
the value of her data.

After the issue is resolved, the OP should have the computer
professional do a diagnostic on her computer to determine why the OEM
Recovery program was run and perhaps provide some training to her.

Malke

 

[Guest]

Hi malke,

I dont know what it was called, i didnt download any program, it was just
there when i started my computer.. could it be that I got a spyware program
that installed itself? or a virus?

 

[Alias]

Hi malke,

I dont know what it was called, i didnt download any program, it was just
there when i started my computer.. could it be that I got a spyware program
that installed itself? or a virus?

Is there anything in your CD ROM, say, the restore disk?

Alias

 

[Alias]

Hi malke,

I dont know what it was called, i didnt download any program, it was just
there when i started my computer.. could it be that I got a spyware program
that installed itself? or a virus?

Have you tried System Restore? And, if so, are there any restore points
before this happened?

Alias

 

[Guest]

ill check the cd drive, but unless there was a little gnome that magically
placed the restore dick there - i dont know how it would be in there....

im at work right now, so i will try all of your suggestions when i get home.
thank you all for your input!
-J

 

[Bruce Chambers]

turned on the computer, it showed that it wanted to install something, so i
ran thru it and installed it...

What, *exactly*, did the prompt say, and what, *exactly*, did you
install? Without at least that much information, no one can really help.

all of a sudden all of my personal files and
anything that i added onto my computer since it was bought is gone! what do i
do here? can i get them back?

For all we know, you may have just restored your hard drive to its
original, ex-factory condition. If so, you've deliberately erased
everything you've installed since getting the computer, and wiped out
beyond all hope of recovery all of your data files.


--

Bruce Chambers

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