Undelete program for Win98 Fat32

[Jack]

While at in DOS, not the Dos window, I accidently deleted all non-system files from the root
directory.

Win98 started up with no problem.

The *.sys files remain and I replaced the autoexec.bat file. It was empty anyhow.

I had a few other non-essentials files in the root directory. I'm sure I can live without them
as I don't recall what they were, but I would like to see if I can recover them.

I am in the process of reading the thread entitled "Updated FAT32 hard disk version of
undelete?" and I have done some google and google groups searches.

The best I have found is Restoration at http://hccweb1.bai.ne.jp/~hcj58401/

But since I deleted the files from DOS, I am not sure that it finds these files.

Does anyone have a suggestion for this particular situation, that is, the files were deleted
from DOS?

Thanks,
Jack

 

[John Corliss]

While at in DOS, not the Dos window, I accidently deleted all non-system
files from the root directory.

Win98 started up with no problem.

The *.sys files remain and I replaced the autoexec.bat file. It was
empty anyhow.

I had a few other non-essentials files in the root directory. I'm sure I
can live without them as I don't recall what they were, but I would like
to see if I can recover them.

I am in the process of reading the thread entitled "Updated FAT32 hard
disk version of undelete?" and I have done some google and google groups
searches.

The best I have found is Restoration at http://hccweb1.bai.ne.jp/~hcj58401/

But since I deleted the files from DOS, I am not sure that it finds
these files.

Does anyone have a suggestion for this particular situation, that is,
the files were deleted from DOS?

Jack, you hit on the best one out there (IMO). If there are going to
be any troubles with your system, it'll probably be with some program
that you're running in Windows that had a file on the root. However,
this probably isn't going to be the case. Another program you might
look at is Disk Investigator:

http://www.theabsolute.net/sware/dskinv.html

You'll at least be more likely to I.D. the missing files, even if you
can't restore them.

 

[Jack]

I am not sure if Restoration found the files or not because i am not sure what was in there.

I plan to do a simple test. I'll create a text file in the root directory, delete it from DOS
and then return the Win98 to see if Restoration can find it.

The thing I like aboiut Restoration is that it does not "install" itself, creating files all
over the map, writing to the registry and ensconcing itself in the systray. Everytime I install
a 800 lb. gorill app, I first back up the registry and prepare to clean up the aftermath.

Jack

 

[Jack]

John,

The Restoration software is indeed the best. It found the test file that I deleted from DOS,
allowed me to restore it and it didn't even have the first letter removed.

Recommended for the Freeware Hall of Fame

Jack

Restoration freeware:
http://www.theabsolute.net/sware/dskinv.html

 

[REMbranded]

Jack <[email protected]> wrote:

While at in DOS, not the Dos window, I accidently deleted all non-system files from the root
directory.

Win98 started up with no problem.

The *.sys files remain and I replaced the autoexec.bat file. It was empty anyhow.

I had a few other non-essentials files in the root directory. I'm sure I can live without them
as I don't recall what they were, but I would like to see if I can recover them.

I am in the process of reading the thread entitled "Updated FAT32 hard disk version of
undelete?" and I have done some google and google groups searches.

The best I have found is Restoration at http://hccweb1.bai.ne.jp/~hcj58401/

But since I deleted the files from DOS, I am not sure that it finds these files.

Does anyone have a suggestion for this particular situation, that is, the files were deleted
from DOS?

You can recover files deleted in DOS, but you really need the app
installed and ready to go beforehand. If you have been browsing or if
you download and install the app on C: you will likely overwrite some
or all of the files.

Here is my config.sys file. You can probably use it.

===== config.sys ==================
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE

[common]
dos=high,umb
buffers=40
================================

You probably lost your logo.sys. That's no big deal. It's the splach
screen you see at boot.

Drive Rescue is what I have installed for just such an emergency:

http://www.woundedmoon.org/win32/driverescue19d.html

It has a GUI and works from Windows. It does a great job of locating
and recovering files if they have not been overwritten.