[RomanticPuppy93]

Hi I was wondering if anyone has an issue when using a data recovering software (in my case, system mechanic's search and recover )

Im not limiting this to a software specifically but has anyone else here had the problem of when you do a data recovery scan say from a corrupted hard drive, it DOES find files but nothing that you actually RECOGNIZE as yours at all. It is all just a bunch of CRAP files nothing that you downloaded or remember viewing or downloading at all.

What are your favorite data recovery softwares? Can anyone recommend me some? cuz the one im using right now does not seem to be doing a good job :/....

[snorg]

It depends on how and why the hard drive got screwed up, files get jumbled and scrambled up, file names wont be the same, videos can be split up and/or merged.

Its probably not the software's fault, allot depends on what settings you use in the software. Try various setting and you might get better results.

[coastie65]

Hi and welcome to the forums. UndeletePlus and Recuva are good. Thsi may good as well: http://www.pandorare...y.com/download/

This post has been edited by coastie65: 06 February 2012 - 08:17 AM

[RomanticPuppy93]

snorg, on 06 February 2012 - 01:04 AM, said:

It depends on how and why the hard drive got screwed up, files get jumbled and scrambled up, file names wont be the same, videos can be split up and/or merged.

Its probably not the software's fault, allot depends on what settings you use in the software. Try various setting and you might get better results.

Well in my case I started having a hard drive corruption/ wipeout when I was trying to uninstall a program I had downloaded online.. Something went wrong and all of a sudden when I opened my libraries all my pics music and everything else was completely gone:/ some folders still there ... But content completely disappeared;(...

[coastie65]

RomanticPuppy93, on 06 February 2012 - 09:25 PM, said:

snorg, on 06 February 2012 - 01:04 AM, said:

It depends on how and why the hard drive got screwed up, files get jumbled and scrambled up, file names wont be the same, videos can be split up and/or merged.

Its probably not the software's fault, allot depends on what settings you use in the software. Try various setting and you might get better results.

Well in my case I started having a hard drive corruption/ wipeout when I was trying to uninstall a program I had downloaded online.. Something went wrong and all of a sudden when I opened my libraries all my pics music and everything else was completely gone:/ some folders still there ... But content completely disappeared;(...

Most likely it was the way the program was installed to begin with. I have seen stuff so scrmabled that Software updates couldn't be done as it couldn't find the path. This was because someone had upgraded their processor and out the new on in wrong. After about a month's usuage, the files were so fragmented as to be useless, as far as trying uninstall or update, even after reinstalling the processor properly ( defragmenting was not helpful either ). The only fix was to do a complete reformat and reinstall of everything. Not the case here, but most likely caused by a very bad installation of the downloaded software, which corrupted the files on the Hdd, and pretty much out of your control.

[RomanticPuppy93]

coastie65, on 07 February 2012 - 08:26 AM, said:

RomanticPuppy93, on 06 February 2012 - 09:25 PM, said:

snorg, on 06 February 2012 - 01:04 AM, said:

It depends on how and why the hard drive got screwed up, files get jumbled and scrambled up, file names wont be the same, videos can be split up and/or merged.

Its probably not the software's fault, allot depends on what settings you use in the software. Try various setting and you might get better results.

Well in my case I started having a hard drive corruption/ wipeout when I was trying to uninstall a program I had downloaded online.. Something went wrong and all of a sudden when I opened my libraries all my pics music and everything else was completely gone:/ some folders still there ... But content completely disappeared;(...

Most likely it was the way the program was installed to begin with. I have seen stuff so scrmabled that Software updates couldn't be done as it couldn't find the path. This was because someone had upgraded their processor and out the new on in wrong. After about a month's usuage, the files were so fragmented as to be useless, as far as trying uninstall or update, even after reinstalling the processor properly ( defragmenting was not helpful either ). The only fix was to do a complete reformat and reinstall of everything. Not the case here, but most likely caused by a very bad installation of the downloaded software, which corrupted the files on the Hdd, and pretty much out of your control.

I heard spin rite is a software that can fix the bad sectors and make most data readable (at least enough to retrieve files needed) again? Do u have any info about that? I'm wondering that there must be some way around it ...

[Evildave]

Not much help now, but in future, do remember to backup your data to offline media, like an external hard disk.

It's a much more reliable way to get your bits back.

Oh, and if you use 'antivirus', it might have automatically moved all those files to an 'infected' folder somewhere, after some recently installed (and maybe uninstalled) software modified them.

[RomanticPuppy93]

Evildave, on 08 February 2012 - 12:42 AM, said:

Not much help now, but in future, do remember to backup your data to offline media, like an external hard disk.

It's a much more reliable way to get your bits back.

Oh, and if you use 'antivirus', it might have automatically moved all those files to an 'infected' folder somewhere, after some recently installed (and maybe uninstalled) software modified them.

^oooo.. wait..since i use McAfee..u think that's what happened then? cuz i was in fact uninstalling a stubborn program when in the process of it i came back to the laptop and saw my whole library has been wiped out... are infected folders similar or the same as hidden ones? can i restore them the same way? cuz im not even 100 % certain if my hard drive is corrupted per se...since all my data is gone...and im having trouble retrieving files..i couldn't conclude anything else :/...

[RomanticPuppy93]

Evildave, on 08 February 2012 - 12:42 AM, said:

Not much help now, but in future, do remember to backup your data to offline media, like an external hard disk.

It's a much more reliable way to get your bits back.

Oh, and if you use 'antivirus', it might have automatically moved all those files to an 'infected' folder somewhere, after some recently installed (and maybe uninstalled) software modified them.

O MY GOD!!! U WERE RIGHT!!!! THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH!! I CHECKED MY HIDDEN FOLDERS FROM MY COMPUTER ON TOOLS AND ALL MY FILES ARE THERE!!! I CAN NOT THANK YOU ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!! IT WAS BECAUSE OF YOU THAT I GOT ALL MY FILES BACK!!!! THANKS AGAIN!!! WHEW~ U SIR ARE A LIFESAVER <3

[Evildave]

Hopefully all is well.

BUT...

You might not be out of the woods. If it was Antivirus that moved them, your files might not be 'right'.

I hope someone who is more familiar with modern versions of McAfee can help you from here with this, but generally speaking, some antivirus software will put files that it thinks are 'infected' into a folder. Sort of like a jail. I think they call it 'Quarantine'.

Anyway, if all the files were automatically moved to the 'Quarantine' folder, you had best double and triple-check them.

If the folder was somehow accidentally 'hidden', then that's different, and probably 'harmless', and probably not as bad as antivirus judging them all 'infected', with no filter available to clean them.


Do remember to buy an external hard drive (or toaster dock and naked hard disk), and start doing routine backups, from now on. The first backup will take a long time, but the subsequent ones should be pretty quick. Either way, you wouldn't have needed much (if any) help to get your files back. You could've got 99+% of your stuff back with a simple restore. No need to 'clean'. No need to 'recover'. No need for much of anything. All the files restored to you.

This is your wake-up call. Next time, you might not be so fortunate (assuming your files aren't infected or corrupted, which could mean, you are still be screwed).

Far too many people run without backing up their precious data, and only discover what 'backup' is for, after they have lost everything.

[RomanticPuppy93]

Evildave, on 10 February 2012 - 12:13 AM, said:

Hopefully all is well.

BUT...

You might not be out of the woods. If it was Antivirus that moved them, your files might not be 'right'.

I hope someone who is more familiar with modern versions of McAfee can help you from here with this, but generally speaking, some antivirus software will put files that it thinks are 'infected' into a folder. Sort of like a jail. I think they call it 'Quarantine'.

Anyway, if all the files were automatically moved to the 'Quarantine' folder, you had best double and triple-check them.

If the folder was somehow accidentally 'hidden', then that's different, and probably 'harmless', and probably not as bad as antivirus judging them all 'infected', with no filter available to clean them.


Do remember to buy an external hard drive (or toaster dock and naked hard disk), and start doing routine backups, from now on. The first backup will take a long time, but the subsequent ones should be pretty quick. Either way, you wouldn't have needed much (if any) help to get your files back. You could've got 99+% of your stuff back with a simple restore. No need to 'clean'. No need to 'recover'. No need for much of anything. All the files restored to you.

This is your wake-up call. Next time, you might not be so fortunate (assuming your files aren't infected or corrupted, which could mean, you are still be screwed).

Far too many people run without backing up their precious data, and only discover what 'backup' is for, after they have lost everything.

Well, I am happy to inform you that it seems all IS well~ i have backed up all my files into my external hard drive and all went smoothly. I can open my files and view them and everything so they should be right. I will def be doing routine back ups from now.. it was a complete wake up call ..about what could have happened *shudder*.

thanks again for all your help cheers to u good sir!~~

[Evildave]

I'm glad it all worked out for you.

[RomanticPuppy93]

Evildave, on 12 February 2012 - 12:28 PM, said:

I'm glad it all worked out for you.

Thanks ! me too ~

[helenron]

Dear friend,
you can use another best data recovery software which is Recoveryfix for window data recovery software you can also download this software free trail from here recoverpartition.org

This post has been edited by helenron: 13 July 2012 - 03:26 AM