restoring .pf files

[Guest]

I accidentally deleted a file, but found it soved as a .pf file. It was an
Excel file. How can I reopen the file?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I accidentally deleted a file, but found it soved as a .pf file. It was an
Excel file. How can I reopen the file?

Did you delete it or did you rename it? If you deleted it,
have a look in the Recycle Bin. If you renamed it, rename
it back to what it should be.

 

[Guest]

No longer in recycling bin. found it in C:Windows\Prefetch it is called
EXCEL.EXE-1C75F8D6, PF file type

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

What makes you think it's your missing file? How come it's
no longer in the Recycle Bin? Did you empty it?

 

[Guest]

It matches the time period I was working on it and the approximate size it
should have been. I had excel on auto save and had been working on it for
several hours. The old version is still there, but I lost 5 hours of work.

Just want to know if there is a way to restore a PF file so that it can be
re-opened in its original Excel format.

Thank you

 

[engine_code_y]

Well, you may be stuck with your "old version" either way... at least
you have that, right?

Anyway, the first thing I would try is simply renaming the file...I'd
copy it (right-click>copy) from the prefetch folder and paste it to the
desktop so it's somewhere handy...
Then click the NAME (not the icon) twice, slowly(do not double-click).
Now you can use the mouse to highlight the extension and change it from
".pf" to ".xls". Upon double-clicking it now, Excel should open it just
fine. However, you may find the prefetched version is an older version
of your file.

Best of luck

 

[Malke]

Well, you may be stuck with your "old version" either way... at least
you have that, right?

Anyway, the first thing I would try is simply renaming the file...I'd
copy it (right-click>copy) from the prefetch folder and paste it to
the desktop so it's somewhere handy...
Then click the NAME (not the icon) twice, slowly(do not
double-click). Now you can use the mouse to highlight the extension
and change it from ".pf" to ".xls". Upon double-clicking it now, Excel
should open it just fine. However, you may find the prefetched version
is an older version of your file.

Best of luck

Unfortunately for the OP, Prefetch files are not the files themselves.
Here is an explanation of Prefetch:

The files in the Prefetch folder are data files related to enhancing the
speed at which applications start. Windows XP Professional monitors the
files that are used when the computer starts and when you start
applications. By monitoring these files, Windows XP Professional can
prefetch them. Prefetching data is the process whereby data that is
expected to be requested is read ahead into the cache. Prefetching boot
files and applications decreases the time needed to start Windows XP
Professional and start applications.

Simply renaming a Prefetch file to an Excel extension will be useless.
The OP could try some data recovery software.

http://www3.telus.net/mikebike/RESTORATION.html
PCInspector File Recovery -
http://www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/welcome.htm
Executive Software “Undelete†-
http://www.execsoft.com/undelete/undelete.asp
Recover and Restore Deleted Files (Line 36) -
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Malke

 

[anno_triangle]

Hi,

If you have deleted the file, it is possible to restore it. I myself
use data recovery tool in this case. Thus is possible to bring file
back. The one I've used, Undelete, never corrupted data or failed. You
can try it too, if you wish.
http://www.active-undelete.com/

 

[Malke]

Hi,

If you have deleted the file, it is possible to restore it. I myself
use data recovery tool in this case. Thus is possible to bring file
back. The one I've used, Undelete, never corrupted data or failed. You
can try it too, if you wish.
http://www.active-undelete.com/

Busy, busy little spammer formerly known as coal_brona.

Scum.

Malke