computer crashed

[targobelle]

When it crashed it wiped out all of my settings and all of my saved information. I can't find it anywhere. We have been able to restore it back to working. We ran chkdsk and defragged the computer, yet nothing of mine has been found or restored.

I have now a new home for my stuff

C:\Documents and Settings\targo.HOME-53J7RC9HKO\My Documents

where this .home tag came from I have no idea. When I search for
C:\Documents and Settings\targo\My Documents it says that file doesn't exist. I am frustrated and upset b/c I have lost many many pictures. It also seems we went from an 80GB hard drive down to a 74GB hard drive. Yes 6GB just disappeared.... I am thinking that is where my stuff is. Any ideas?

 

[Wolf]

That's a calculation difference. They sell on a larger number than you'll actually get, so there's no hidden stuff there.

Log in as an administrator, it might still be there.

 

[targobelle]

I am an administrator and um it was 79.4 GB when we initially bought it..... *sigh*

 

[Athenian200]

Have you checked to see if a new drive partition was created? A system restore partition might have been created.

Also, how did you restore it back to working? Did you use System Restore to go back to the last restore point? If you did, you may have lost all data created since your last backup. Is that roughly the data you've lost?

 

[Pseudonym_Alpha]

i agree with athenian200, sounds like a partition problem.

System restore is a good idea, but only if it was actually set, thats the key with it. (*realises that athenian said something similar*) hehe

 

[targobelle]

how do I check for a partition?

 

[Wolf]

I am an administrator and um it was 79.4 GB when we initially bought it..... *sigh*

Your B+ tree has become corrupted or lost a branch. You really can't reallocate your disk and add a partition with lost data in it without taking a lot of specific efforts to do so. Partitions don't just magically appear containing valid data.

You may wish to see if a former filesystem state is available (it's like a journal diff), which *might* restore your data, but if you've used it much since it was deleted or didn't leave enough space for the magic process (System Restore allows you to us it), you might be out of luck.

Just for shits and giggles, could you make all files visible and try to navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\ then see if there's a targo there (could have all sorts of weird extensions if you have such a weird user directory now), then go in there and see if there's a directory such as "targo's documents" or something similar (it's a weird XP thing I've run into sometimes).


No offense intended, but this thread makes me sad and yet has a deep ironic humor to it.

 

[targobelle]

I will have to get my husband to look at this b/c well to be honest I don't quite understand *sigh*

 

[Wolf]

Right-click "My Computer", click "Explore".
Go to the menu item "Tools"->"Folder Options..."
Select the "View" tab.
Under "Advanced Settings", make sure "Show hidden files and folders" is selected.
You may also want to deselect "Hide protected operating system files", but it'll complain at you and you'll probably want to turn it back on afterward.

Now, navigate through the filesystem.

 

[targobelle]

done that and still not seeing anything that I have lost.

It's odd that I lost all my picture files but I didn't lose my music files. It seems that my shared files stayed in tact but my personal files are lost.

 

[Wolf]

done that and still not seeing anything that I have lost.

It's odd that I lost all my picture files but I didn't lose my music files. It seems that my shared files stayed in tact but my personal files are lost.

They're stored in different directories.

Try scanning the disk, too.

 

[lastrailway]

I suppose you have WIN XP and your picture files are .jpg
Then I would:
Start -> run -> cmd -> (enter)
in the command window, I 'd type:
cd \ (in order to go to the root folder)
search .jpg|more

After each statement press enter
then, with enter you go down to the list
When you see a picture you recognise, copy the address and try to enter to the window using the windows explorer, there should be all your photos

 

[targobelle]

it didn't let me search .jpg it was unrecognized

 

[lastrailway]

Ok, something seems pretty wrong. How did it crash and what did you do to recover it?
What directories do you have under the c:\Documents and Settings (including hidden ones)?

 

[targobelle]

scan disk I saw this in my lookings.... to find it again GA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[targobelle]

chkdsk on start up and then it was defragged, a bad choice I am sure and now it's working again

 

[lastrailway]

...

I have now a new home for my stuff

C:\Documents and Settings\targo.HOME-53J7RC9HKO\My Documents...

This tag means that there is still stored your old home directory (targo) and the file system couldn't name the new home directory with the same name, so it added an not-so-random extension (I've been told it has something to do with the service pack version but never checked this out). So your files are probably still stored somewhere.
Maybe a chkdsk /r would clear the mistake. If you have the possibility to add your hard disk to another system as a second drive and search the files from the other system, that would be even better

 

[targobelle]

I think that my husband will try it on our other computer. we just got a laptop... WOW those are impressive. We will see what the other one will find as it's a piece of junk.

THANKS

It's just that some family pictures of importance were taken and I didn't get them onto a disk right away and my mother in law is gonna have a freak if I don't find them.

 

[lastrailway]

Good luck, I wish I could help more

 

[targobelle]

BTW I really appreciate your help it's been a stressful time in my house and just to have people on hand through the internet who know about this stuff has been a great relief