Help recovering MS Word DOCX files

[Marz]

I had three MS Word 2007 docx files on my hard drive.
I deleted them and emptied the trash.
I immediately used some File Recovery programs to try to recover them.
The programs were unable to find them.
That seems very strange to me.
Is it possibly because they are docx files? This is a relatively new file
type by Microsoft, right? I am using MS Word with Vista Home Premium.

I should probably add that the programs cannot find files with the names of
the files I deleted. Are the names changed when they are deleted and the
Recycle Bin emptied? I have heard that files are not wiped clean from your
drive. Only the directories are changes, but the data is still there until it
is written over.

The programs I used were (supposedly) Vista compatible.
I tried Pandora Recovery, RecoverFiles and DataRecovery_EN from CNET
download.com.

On a side note:
I also have a suggestion for people like me who occasionally delete things
too quickly. I have created a "Pre-Recycle Bin" or "HOLD" folder.
I put things in there for a day or so before deleting them.

I have also heard of a recycle bin replacement app called Undelete 2009
Professional.

Does anyone know about docx files and why a recovery app would have trouble
with them?

 

[Dominic Payer]

See http://www.aumha.org/a/recover.php for an explanation of how files
are deleted.

You may find
http://lifehacker.com/360781/recover-files-using-vistas-built+in-shadow-copies
useful.

 

[John Inzer]

I had three MS Word 2007 docx files on my hard drive.
I deleted them and emptied the trash.
I immediately used some File Recovery programs to try to recover them.
The programs were unable to find them.
That seems very strange to me.
Is it possibly because they are docx files? This is a relatively new
file type by Microsoft, right? I am using MS Word with Vista Home
Premium.

I should probably add that the programs cannot find files with the
names of the files I deleted. Are the names changed when they are
deleted and the Recycle Bin emptied? I have heard that files are not
wiped clean from your drive. Only the directories are changes, but
the data is still there until it is written over.

The programs I used were (supposedly) Vista compatible.
I tried Pandora Recovery, RecoverFiles and DataRecovery_EN from CNET
download.com.

On a side note:
I also have a suggestion for people like me who occasionally delete
things too quickly. I have created a "Pre-Recycle Bin" or "HOLD"
folder.
I put things in there for a day or so before deleting them.

I have also heard of a recycle bin replacement app called Undelete
2009 Professional.

Does anyone know about docx files and why a recovery app would have
trouble with them?

==================================
I have had success in recovering .docx
files with the freeware Recuva.

Recuva - File Recovery
http://www.recuva.com/

Recover lost files with Recuva
http://www.vista4beginners.com/recuva

The recovered file will have the .doc extension.

Good luck.

--

J. Inzer MS-MVP
Digital Media Experience

Notice
This is not tech support
I am a volunteer

Solutions that work for
me may not work for you

Proceed at your own risk

 

[Bill Sharpe]

==================================
I have had success in recovering .docx
files with the freeware Recuva.

Recuva - File Recovery
http://www.recuva.com/

Recover lost files with Recuva
http://www.vista4beginners.com/recuva

The recovered file will have the .doc extension.

Good luck.

I've had good luck with Recuva, too, but success largely depends on how
much disk activity takes place between the time you delete the files and
attempt to recover them. The space where the files resided isn't
immediately overwritten but will be in short order.

It also helps if you look at the contents of your recycle bin before
emptying it (but of course you know that now).

Bill

 

[Marz]

Thanks, Dominic.
I appreciate the response.

I will look at these links.


(Sorry for the late response. I don't seem to be getting an email when
there's a response to a post I made. I have the checkbox checked to receive
notifications of replies.)

 

[Marz]

Thank, John.
I appreciate the response.

I will look at these links.


(Sorry for the late response. I don't seem to be getting an email when
there's a response to a post I made. I have the checkbox checked to receive
notifications of replies.)

 

[Marz]

Thanks, Bill.

I appreciate the response.

I will look at these links.

(Sorry for the late response. I don't seem to be getting an email when
there's a response to a post I made. I have the checkbox checked to receive
notifications of replies.)

 

[Marz]

To Bill and John:

I just did a little bit of testing on this issue. Here is what I found:
I did get Recuva and I like it very much. But, when I installed it, I
noticed the little pear logo. It is the same one that I see when I use
CCleaner by this same company. I wondered if this program was somehow
affecting deleted files. (I used to be a software tester. I had a hunch and
followed it.)
It appears to be doing just that.

1. I created a new MS Word file, entered some text and saved (DOCS file).
2. I deleted the file and emptied the trash.
3. I ran Recuva.
The file was recovered.
4. I then ran CCleaner before doing anything else.
5. I ran Recuva before doing anything else.
The file was not on the list of recovered files. I tried several options in
the program.

Is this conclusive evidence? Maybe not. But, it appears that CCleaner is
doing something. I checked the CCleaner website and couldn't find anything.
but I am going to send them an email to see what they have to say.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

To Bill and John:

I just did a little bit of testing on this issue. Here is what I found:
I did get Recuva and I like it very much. But, when I installed it, I
noticed the little pear logo. It is the same one that I see when I use
CCleaner by this same company. I wondered if this program was somehow
affecting deleted files. (I used to be a software tester. I had a hunch and
followed it.)
It appears to be doing just that.

1. I created a new MS Word file, entered some text and saved (DOCS file).
2. I deleted the file and emptied the trash.
3. I ran Recuva.
The file was recovered.
4. I then ran CCleaner before doing anything else.
5. I ran Recuva before doing anything else.
The file was not on the list of recovered files. I tried several options in
the program.

Is this conclusive evidence? Maybe not. But, it appears that CCleaner is
doing something. I checked the CCleaner website and couldn't find anything.
but I am going to send them an email to see what they have to say.

Probably not conclusive evidence...

Anything that writes to the disk stands a good chance of writing to one or
more of the clusters that were abandoned by the deleted file.

As for the late responses that you keep apologizing for: most of us take
the time to read the newsgroups that we post to...Just sayin'.