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Please Help.....


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#1
Missy1

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Last night I installed windows Xp onto my laptop and lost EVERYTHING!!! The disk did not prompt me to back up, therefor I have nothing to restore to. Photo's and documents that are much needed have been wiped. Is there anyway of getting these back?
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#2
Retired Tech

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Try this

http://www.pcinspect.../uk/welcome.htm

After this, avoid downloading because anything you add to the drive can overwrite the data you need to recover
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#3
Missy1

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Thank you for that. I will give it a go as soon as I get home from work. Fingers Crossed!!!
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#4
Retired Tech

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Hope it goes well
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#5
TakeBK

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Yes try doing all your homework on this subject off of another machine before anything gets over written like Kieth said.No more programs installed or Drives,Video cards basically anything that will create a file to overwrite what you have on there.

I wish you the best .I hate to hear stories like this where the user doesn't know that you shouls always back up before doing Installs or even Repairs to the machine.

Even though a "Repair" is safe and most likely wont corrupt or delete any of your files,if something goes A-MUCK you are pretty much screwed.In the comp world "ANYTHING" can happen at "ANY" time.

Good Luck Missy


Regards ,
TakeBK
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#6
Missy1

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Thank you both for your help. :help: I don't actually have another computer to try this from so would it be a big problem if I tried it on the 'bad' one? I really don't have a lot to loose if it stuffs up because I have nothing left on it.... or do you think it would be better to take the laptop to a computer recovery shop? :whistling: There is one close to home (sort of) who specialise in that sort of stuff. Are the steps to doing the recovery myself hard? I am very computer competent but not with things like this. Hmmm tricky situation but at least now I am happier than last night - I though it was gone for good!!! :blink:

Cheers Kylie (Missy1)
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#7
TakeBK

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I really don't have a lot to loose if it stuffs up because I have nothing left on it.... or do you think it would be better to take the laptop to a computer recovery shop? :whistling: Cheers Kylie (Missy1)


I can't really spend your money.If you feel the stuff on there is important enough .Kids 1st BDAY pics,Grandmas last christmas,Files for your taxes ect Then by all means take it to a recovery shop that specializes in it .At what cost ? I don't know that is up to you to decide in what it is really worth to you.

Example .I wouldn't spend $300 on a couple of pics I downloaded that I thought were funny off the net or 40 Songs from Itunes.If it was things like I stated above(Personal Memories that ar eclose to my heart) Then YES ,I would.

Are the steps to doing the recovery myself hard? I am very computer competent but not with things like this. Cheers Kylie (Missy1)


Well if you know your way around a computer and are competent like you say ,then most of it is doing the reading and reasearch on how to before you try it.It is not too hard once you get into it.My brother is a nerd and he did it on his own oneday becuase he "Shift - Deleted a file one day and needed some of the pics on there fom last vaction with DAD.He got 98% of them back ,some of the file had gotten overwritten but it was better than nothing.

Scale 1 to 10 I would say a 6.5 if you are 1/2 way knowledgeable and can read and follow directions(KEY)


There are quite a few programs for recovery .You might want to ask around and see which suits you in both ease and quality of use(High recovery rate).


You can always borrow a friends Computer in plug your drive into it as slave with the right adapters to try and snoop around .You still will need software if they were renamed or encrypted with the rewrite of XP though.It might be just a coverted data file that needs to be rebuilt,which is where the software comes in.

Again best of luck

TakeBK
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