Can I get back My Pictures after System Restore?

[ACTW]

Hi - we were infected, badly, and used Restore and then Recovery and,
although it said we would be back where we started, we seem to have almost
everything up to date, like emails, etc. except some downloads. In Picasa we
have lost photos that weren't yet copied to CDs - are they still in there
somewhere? how to find them? also - forgive this dumb question - the Trojan
"MS Spyware alert": where is it? is the infected stuff sealed off
somewhere? truly - it had me terrified. Please reassure me that it is not
lurking somewhere. Really appreciate anyone answering my dumb question. (And
the first thing we did was get our Macafee working again). Thanks.

 

[Leonard Grey]

I do not know what "Restore and then Recovery" means. If it involves
erasing your hard disk, then everything you had before starting this
procedure is permanently gone.

 

[db ´¯`·.. >]

if you initiated a system
"restore", then only system
files would be roll back to
the date of the restore point.

the system restore would
not have affected personal
files, like docs, pics, etc...
and these types of files
would be intact and still
in their original locations.

however, you also mentioned
a "recovery" being performed.

if you initiated a recovery
with the computers disks
that were provided by the
manufacturer, then you may
have restored your system
back to its factory default
state.

thus all the data your system
had acquired over time, like
updates, patches and personal
files like documents and pics
were likely wiped away.

-------------------

however, there might be a chance
that the files may still be on the
hard drive, although you can no
longer see them via the explorer.

try a freeware called recuva.

it will scan your disk for all files
that are still on the disk but marked
for over writing.

if the freeware finds them, it
will produce a listing and you
can pick and choose which files
you want restored/recovered.

but the above is only a chance
and not a guarantee.

--------------------

unfortunately, many people don't
realize that the cliché:

never have all your eggs in one
basket, is in fact applicable to
computers.

the cliché above could be re phrased
as never store all your data in
one partition or drive.

so in the future you may want
to consider the value of making
back ups or having another disk
or partition that can be used to
keep personal files off the system
partition.

the system partition is always
being threatened and is vulnerable
to unforeseen attacks and or
wiping away.

--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces

"share the nirvana" - dbZen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[ACTW]

Thanks. The reason I am not sure exactly what was done is that we just
followed directions from the (at $49.99 charge) HP tech person. I know that
we tried to go back to an earlier date (Restore) and it didn't work. So we
were told the next thing we tried would restore the computer to what was in
it when we purchased it. I am confused because it seems to have almost
everything that was added in the years we had it - including things like
favorites, email messages, etc. and the Picassa program that was fairly
recent. So...call me stupid...but I don't know what HP had us do. The
reason we don't have backup system discs is that Windows made it sound
technical and difficult to do (floppy discs only? partition?) - but we have
learned that HP has a way to do a one-time only copy on CDs. This we will do
very soon - your advice about eggs is right on! I am trying to recover some
photos thru using Search - but even though I can see it sorting thru the
files I want, Search doesn't pull them up. I am afraid to bring up all old
files as I don't know what is infected and what isn't. We've got McAfee
reinstated - although we thought we had it all along. Thanks for helping
without sarcasm - if the internet is truly for everyone, we just all have to
help each other because Microsoft won't. (p.s. thanks for being a Veteran!)

 

[db ´¯`·.. >]

ok, well if the hp tech
had you do a factory
restore, then your
system was basically
reset back to its original
state.

however, just because
a restore was initiated
may not necessarily have
required a disk format.

a disk format would have
surely wiped the slate
clean, i.e. the disk.

therefore, if there was
no format done, then
you may have a chance
to recover those personal
files.

again, I suggest a freeware
called recuva.

it will perform a scan and
provide you with a listing
of all the files that are still
on the disk that are marked
as free space.

the less you utilize the
computer and refrain from
installing new programs,
the better chance you will
have for the recuva program
to look into the remaining
space for those files.

here is the info on the
freeware above:

http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q=recuva&FORM=MSNH11

--------------

in regards to the advice
you received from hp, I
would file a complaint.

the tech should have
explained what the process
of recovery meant and
the tech should have given
you the opportunity to
extract your personal
files first.

also, system restore
should have been helpful,
unless your anti virals
were blocking it from
modifying your system
files.

again, the hp tech should
have known to check this
aspect.

--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces

"share the nirvana" - dbZen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[neil]

The pictures you mention are not "in" Picasa, that is just the program you
use to open them. Have you looked in your "my pictures" folder.?
Let us know if there is anything there.
Neil