recovering overwritten file

G

Guest

I have accidentally overwritten a folder that contained files with the same
names onto my USB key. I was hoping to recover the original files on the USB
key. I have already tried using Restoration but was not able to find those
files. Does anyone else have ideas? I read one posting on this site that a
person was able to retrieve the original version of an edited photo after
saving over it using Restoration. I thought this should be similar to my
situation but Restoration did not work for me. Any ideas?
 
W

Will Denny

Hi

If the file has been overwritten, then more than likely it has gone. You
'may' be able to recover it using a data recovery program, but that can work
out very expensive.

--


Will Denny
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
Please reply to the News Groups
 
P

Pennywise

|>I have accidentally overwritten a folder that contained files with the same
|>names onto my USB key. I was hoping to recover the original files on the USB
|>key. I have already tried using Restoration but was not able to find those
|>files. Does anyone else have ideas? I read one posting on this site that a
|>person was able to retrieve the original version of an edited photo after
|>saving over it using Restoration. I thought this should be similar to my
|>situation but Restoration did not work for me. Any ideas?

USB drive, pry not - you weren't warn'd you were doing this?

You might try Recover at least it's cheap....

Start | Run <type in>
%windir%\hh.exe ms-its:e:\Windows\Help\ntcmds.chm::/ntcmds.htm
<enter>

Click on R and recover to see how to run it (CMD window)
 
P

Pennywise

(e-mail address removed) wrote:

|>Start | Run <type in>
|>%windir%\hh.exe ms-its:e:\Windows\Help\ntcmds.chm::/ntcmds.htm
|> <enter>

Woops this is for my machine, Change the e:\ to your OS (C:\)
 
P

Pennywise

(e-mail address removed) wrote:

|> (e-mail address removed) wrote:
|>
|>|>Start | Run <type in>
|>|>%windir%\hh.exe ms-its:e:\Windows\Help\ntcmds.chm::/ntcmds.htm
|>|> <enter>
|>
|>Woops this is for my machine, Change the e:\ to your OS (C:\)

Hell with it - if you want in depth do the above, you want down and
dirty:

Start | Run <type in> CMD /K recover /? <enter>
 
R

Richard Urban

When once a file on a USB key drive is over written, it is gone - for good.
Unlike a magnetic hard drive, there is no residual remnants left for
recovery.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
 
G

Guest

Gone in a Flash !

Thats why they call them Flash drives. LOL

Are you sure you can't recover deleted files from USB, SD, etc, Flash drives
and memory, or is it just if you overwrite the file with same name?
 
G

Guest

Try

for flash recovery:
PC Inspector Smart Recovery v4.5

for magnetic HDD recovery:
PC Inspector File Recovery v4.0

Both usually work even if USB Flash drives, SD Cards, Sony Memory Stick,
HDD, etc, have been formatted several times.

http://www.PCinspector.de

I don't know if a file that has been overwriten with the same name can have
the earlier versions recovered.

Remember Windows OS (a DOS based OS) only does "Low Level Formats", so
anything your have ever put on your HDD, USB Flash Drive, SD Card, Sony
Memory Stick, etc, is still there, even if you have formatted it numerous
times, it just that a DOS based OS can't normally read it, so it shows up as
empty, but really the data is still there and easily recovered.

Good Luck.
 
R

Richard Urban

We are talking about over writing here, I believe. (-:

I just ran some tests, using EasyRecovery Professional on my 1 gig SanDisk
Mini Cruiser.

1. I created a simple text file and saved to the drive

2. I then altered the original file and resaved.

RESULTS:
The original file was detected and found with a zero byte size. It was
listed as deleted. There was no file contents. Recovering showed the same
conditions - zero bytes and no text.

3. I altered, saved and then deleted the file. This, of course, over
wrote the file yet again.

RESULTS:
The last iteration of the file was found, in a deleted condition, and was
able to be recovered by EasyRecovery Professional.

When a file is resaved in an altered condition, the original form is
unrecoverable. If the file is just deleted, it is recoverable - as long as
saving another file does not overwrite the location.

But, because a thumb drive is so small in capacity, there is a much greater
chance that adding, or changing, another file to the drive WILL overwrite
part of a deleted file.


--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
 
G

Guest

Sorry I am just learning, didn't mean to question your knowledge.

Thanks, that makes it much clearer, and the difference between recovering
"deleted" and "overwritten files".

Apparantly professional recovery companies can recover "overwritten"
files in some circumstances, maybe the OS's uses the date and time in
the file name, but I don't think even this helps in Windows, as the old
version of the files apparently just disapears, weird. You would think
Windows would just save the new version with same basic name but
with new date and time stamp.

Windows is good that its always warns me when about to overwrite a
file on a USB flash drive, its a good idea for its easy to forget whats on
the flash drive.

So OP Choi is out of luck then, I guess !
 
R

Richard Urban

Grumpy said:
Sorry I am just learning, didn't mean to question your knowledge.

Thanks, that makes it much clearer, and the difference between recovering
"deleted" and "overwritten files".

Apparantly professional recovery companies can recover "overwritten"
files in some circumstances, maybe the OS's uses the date and time in
the file name, but I don't think even this helps in Windows, as the old
version of the files apparently just disapears, weird. You would think
Windows would just save the new version with same basic name but
with new date and time stamp.

Windows is good that its always warns me when about to overwrite a
file on a USB flash drive, its a good idea for its easy to forget whats on
the flash drive.

So OP Choi is out of luck then, I guess !
Click to expand...


I didn't even think you were questioning my knowledge (or lack thereof). But
the Op's question got me to do a bit of experimenting. I always learn from
that, and pass on what I find out.

So, thank you (and the O/P) for booting me in this direction.

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
MVP Windows Shell/User
(using Vista 5384.4)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew half as much as you think you know,
You would realize you don't know what you thought you knew.
 
D

Dave Cohen

Grumpy said:
Sorry I am just learning, didn't mean to question your knowledge.

Thanks, that makes it much clearer, and the difference between recovering
"deleted" and "overwritten files".

Apparantly professional recovery companies can recover "overwritten"
files in some circumstances, maybe the OS's uses the date and time in
the file name, but I don't think even this helps in Windows, as the old
version of the files apparently just disapears, weird. You would think
Windows would just save the new version with same basic name but
with new date and time stamp.

Windows is good that its always warns me when about to overwrite a
file on a USB flash drive, its a good idea for its easy to forget whats on
the flash drive.

So OP Choi is out of luck then, I guess !
Click to expand...
Grumpy, no offense, but if by your own admission you don't know much
about this stuff, why post.
Briefly, if clusters in use are overwritten, all hope is lost. The Bozo
who suggested magnetic media is recoverable after such an exercise
neglected to mention attempting involves disassembling the drive and
using specialized laboratory technique. Note the erased data on the
famous Nixon tapes defied recovery efforts, although admittedly the
recording technique is different from that of a hd.
Image recovery programs work extremely well in getting .jpg's off a
flash card even if card has been formatted.
I would assume when a file is overwritten, the file's clusters will be
overwritten. You do get a warning.
Dave Cohen
 
G

Guest

Thanks to all who replied... I have learned a lot even though I was unable to
get my files back...
 
P

Plato

=?Utf-8?B?Q2hvaQ==?= said:
I have accidentally overwritten a folder that contained files with the same
names onto my USB key. I was hoping to recover the original files on the USB
Click to expand...

That's one of the best ways of making sure you will never get the data
back.
 

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