lost files not restored through system restore

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My 2 yr old pressed some keys on our laptop making it impossible to open up to the desktop setting; all that would show up upon turning the computer on was the desktop photo and nothing else. I took it to Best Buy where it was warranteed and the tech opened it in safe mode by pressing F8 while the computer was starting up. He suggested that he remove the old identity and create another. He then told me my computer could use a tune-up so I obliged him but when I got it back all my folders in My Documents were gone as were lots of valuable photos that were filed there. He was called at home about the problem and suggested that I use system restore to a prior date which I did but none of the folders in "my documents" showed up. Is there any way I can retrieve the photos? I also noticed that all my saved emails are missing and my OE address book is empty. This is a major setback. Is there any way to restore these files, emails and addresses

Jeff
 
You could look in C:\Doc and Settings\Your Name\Local
Settings\Application Data\Identities\letters & numbers\microsoft
aurorakidz said:
My 2 yr old pressed some keys on our laptop making it impossible to open
Click to expand...
up to the desktop setting; all that would show up upon turning the computer
on was the desktop photo and nothing else. I took it to Best Buy where it
was warranteed and the tech opened it in safe mode by pressing F8 while the
computer was starting up. He suggested that he remove the old identity and
create another. He then told me my computer could use a tune-up so I obliged
him but when I got it back all my folders in My Documents were gone as were
lots of valuable photos that were filed there. He was called at home about
the problem and suggested that I use system restore to a prior date which I
did but none of the folders in "my documents" showed up. Is there any way I
can retrieve the photos? I also noticed that all my saved emails are missing
and my OE address book is empty. This is a major setback. Is there any way
to restore these files, emails and addresses?
 
aurorakidz said:
My 2 yr old pressed some keys on our laptop making it impossible to open
Click to expand...
up to the desktop setting; all that would show up upon turning the computer
on was the desktop photo and nothing else. I took it to Best Buy where it
was warranteed and the tech opened it in safe mode by pressing F8 while the
computer was starting up.



"He suggested that he remove the old identity and create another. "

This is the problem. Your files, email, addresses and photos where most
likely stored in your "my documents" folder.
If the "tech", (when it comes to BestBuy I have to use the term loosly),
deleted the original profile,
then it's very unlikely that you would be able to recover anything. First,
check in c:\documents and settings.
Is there a folder in there with the name of your old profile? If so, then
your files could very well be in there, and most likely are.
Open the folder and explore to see if they are there. If the old profile is
not there, then the "tech" did delete it.
In that case, if I where in your shoes I would contact the manager of the
store and tell him you want to have the drive sent to a data recovery
service
to recover the files HIS tech deleted. There are utilities available that
could recover them, but they are not 100%.
If the files are not in the other profile, shut it down and do not use it.
Any writing to the disk could overwrite the files and make them
unrecoverable.


He then told me my computer could use a tune-up so I obliged him but when I
got it back all my folders in My Documents were gone as were lots of
valuable photos that were filed there. He was called at home about the
problem and suggested that I use system restore to a prior date which I did
but none of the folders in "my documents" showed up. Is there any way I can
retrieve the photos? I also noticed that all my saved emails are missing and
my OE address book is empty. This is a major setback. Is there any way to
restore these files, emails and addresses?
 
By identity, do you mean user?
Each user has a separate My Documents folder. Have you tried searching the
hard drive for the missing folders?

Each user will have a separate Address Book and Store folder for OE.
Search for "*.dbx" without the quotes. Search hidden files.

Start, Run, "wab /a" without the quotes will open the Address Book.
View, check Folders and Groups.
If you see your old addresses, move them to the folder you are using now.
--
Ron Sommer

aurorakidz said:
My 2 yr old pressed some keys on our laptop making it impossible to open
Click to expand...
up to the desktop setting; all that would show up upon turning the computer
on was the desktop photo and nothing else. I took it to Best Buy where it
was warranteed and the tech opened it in safe mode by pressing F8 while the
computer was starting up. He suggested that he remove the old identity and
create another. He then told me my computer could use a tune-up so I obliged
him but when I got it back all my folders in My Documents were gone as were
lots of valuable photos that were filed there. He was called at home about
the problem and suggested that I use system restore to a prior date which I
did but none of the folders in "my documents" showed up. Is there any way I
can retrieve the photos? I also noticed that all my saved emails are missing
and my OE address book is empty. This is a major setback. Is there any way
to restore these files, emails and addresses?
 
Hi Jeff,

Could it have been: Desktop/Show Desktop Icons

For the next time (because you will probably keep the two year old): :o)

Restore Desktop, Start Button and Taskbar
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

As for your missing Documents.....

HOW TO: Take Ownership of a File or Folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q308421




aurorakidz said:
My 2 yr old pressed some keys on our laptop making it impossible to open
Click to expand...
up to the desktop setting; all that would show up upon turning the computer
on was the desktop photo and nothing else. I took it to Best Buy where it
was warranteed and the tech opened it in safe mode by pressing F8 while the
computer was starting up. He suggested that he remove the old identity and
create another. He then told me my computer could use a tune-up so I obliged
him but when I got it back all my folders in My Documents were gone as were
lots of valuable photos that were filed there. He was called at home about
the problem and suggested that I use system restore to a prior date which I
did but none of the folders in "my documents" showed up. Is there any way I
can retrieve the photos? I also noticed that all my saved emails are missing
and my OE address book is empty. This is a major setback. Is there any way
to restore these files, emails and addresses?
 
System Restore does not monitor (back up) those personal files. See Monitored File Extensions http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/enus/sr/sr/about_system_restore.asp. Are you sure that the person is a tech?

Do as the others have suggested, specifically "take ownership" from Kelly.

--
Just my 2¢ worth
Jeff
__________in response to__________

»snip«

He was called at home about the problem and suggested that I use system restore to a prior date which I did but none of the folders in "my documents" showed up. Is there any way I can retrieve the photos? I also noticed that all my saved emails are missing and my OE address book is empty. This is a major setback. Is there any way to restore these files, emails and addresses?
|
| Jeff
 
I recently used VirtualLab by Binary Biz. Worked a treat
for recovering deleted files off the hard disk. You can
download the app from their website.
 
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