location of backup files

[ckauai]

In troubleshooting some problems with my dell computer, I re-installed xp
home edition. I thought it would wipe my entire hard drive clean, but it
didn't, and that is fine because I didn't backup all of my files (yes, i am
an idiot). i still had some of my documents/folders from before. So since
iit seems the reinstallation did not totally erase my hard drive, and it
seems like during xp reinstallation there was a backup of my files stored
somewhere on my hard drive, where and how would i locate them to perhaps
restore some of them...more specifically pictures that i had not backed up to
some other media. it seems like there is a backup of my old files somewhere
on my hard drive because it is 75% full.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

In troubleshooting some problems with my dell computer, I re-installed xp
home edition. I thought it would wipe my entire hard drive clean, but it
didn't, and that is fine because I didn't backup all of my files (yes, i
am
an idiot). i still had some of my documents/folders from before. So
since
iit seems the reinstallation did not totally erase my hard drive, and it
seems like during xp reinstallation there was a backup of my files stored
somewhere on my hard drive, where and how would i locate them to perhaps
restore some of them...more specifically pictures that i had not backed up
to
some other media. it seems like there is a backup of my old files
somewhere
on my hard drive because it is 75% full.

Do you know the name of even one of those files, or at least an extension?

Download, install and run Agent Ransack, and search the drive from the root
for that filename. Where you find the one, you'll find the rest.
http://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/

You may find that these are in a separate user account folder; if the user
accounts were re-created (a clue to this would be that following the
reinstall, the desktop was clear), then if you look at the contents of the
Documents and Settings Folder you will find the original account folders.
You might need to Take Ownership of the folders to gain access to the files.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421

HTH
-pk