[flowergirl]

My computer is now in the computer shop.

I am really anxious to know if they will be able to rescue my 1600 digital pictues.

They were stored on the C:Drive and my friend was doing me a 'favor' and thought
he had saved the pictures but instead he saved some OLD pictures and all my pictues
are GONE. (My computer was plugged up with a Virus.)

He ran some kind of computer clean up at work....

The computer shop is charging 100 dollars just to look.
And 80.00 an hour thereafter. (But it would be worth it if they can save the pictures.)

Do you think there is a chance they can retrieve these pictures?

HOPE HOPE HOPE...they are valuable pictures to me and I was SO STUPID not to
get them over to a CD when I could have.

I have kicked myself over and over!

Janie

Edited by flowergirl, 08 November 2006 - 06:43 PM.

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they should able to recover them

there are programs availabe on the internet

designed to retrieve deleted files folders anything

Edited by rushin1nd, 07 November 2006 - 09:41 AM.

[dsenette]

hey janie...WB (been a while eh?)

do you remember off hand if one of the other times you were here if we had you make a UBCD (if that doesn't sound familliar...then we didn't)

http://www.snapfiles...tarecovery.html here's a list of programs that have free trials

http://www.snapfiles...tarecovery.html
here's a list that are actually 100% free
i've used the second one with success before (freeundelete)...but i haven't used it in a while...if you want i can DL it and help you out?

[flowergirl]

Yes, you all helped me get rid of a virus on my
computer by following your instructions.

I was afraid to do anything but you led me all the way!

Actually this picture problem is on a different computer.

This computer I am using now, that you helped me CLEAN UP,
hasn't had any more problems.

I run Search and Destroy often....also still have Advast instead of Norton
and use Adaware also...that is about it.

THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME HOPE THAT THESE PICTURES CAN BE RETRIEVED.

I haven't heard a word from the computer shop but will let you know here if they
were able to get the pictures and what program they used.
FIRST thing I will do, is put the pictures on a CD!

Edited by flowergirl, 07 November 2006 - 10:11 AM.

[dsenette]

AH...you've already sent the machine to the shop....in that case they SHOULD be able to get at least some of them back..if not all of them

[flowergirl]

You guys were right, they were able to retrieve the pictures.
I didn't ask what program they used...I am just really happy to have the
pictures now on a CD!

I would have thought it impossible but I guess all deleted files have
to go somewhere. True?

I am just so happy to have the pictures....they are of important
flower pictures (haha) but mostly granddaughter birthdays and the like
for the past 3 years.

Edited by flowergirl, 07 November 2006 - 05:35 PM.

[dsenette]

I would have thought it impossible but I guess all deleted files have
to go somewhere. True?

FYI deleted files don't get deleted...they just get marked or "tombstoned" for being overwritten...basically every file has a pointer (sort of like an address)...when you delete something...all that happens is the pointer get's removed (so that you no longer see the file) and then get's "tombstoned"...when you start putting more information on the drive....if the drive comes to a spot that's been "tombstoned"...it knows that part is safe to overwrite...if it's not "tombstoned" it finds another empty spot...so as long as the deleted items haven't been overwritten...you can usually get them back by looking for "tombstoned" files...which is what all that recovery software does

[flowergirl]

Hmmm, are you saying it is similar to a video or cassette tape?
(The recording is there until it is taped over.)

I don't quite understand how long it is before the 'tombstoned files'
would be overwritten?
How long do we have to retrieve deleted files or photos?

Edited by flowergirl, 08 November 2006 - 08:23 AM.

[dsenette]

Hmmm, are you saying it is similar to a video or cassette tape?
(The recording is there until it is taped over.)

pretty much

I don't quite understand how long it is before the 'tombstoned files'
would be overwritten?
How long do we have to retrieve deleted files or photos?

this is the funky part....there's no telling...it could be years or minutes depending on how much you use the drive...if you're doing alot of file manipulation and what not (making movies...music...photos...etc..) then it will be rellatively quick....if all you do is surf the net on the pc...it could take quite some time for these areas of the drive to get overwritten...

it also depends on the physical location of the tombstoned data on the drive...in relation to the data that hasn't been tombstoned...

as well as a plethora of other factors...but in general...the longer you wait to recover the files...and the more you use the computer between the deletion and subsequent recovery attempts...the less success you will have with the recovery...

so...basically...if you're lucky enough to know immediately that the files are gone (i.e. they were there...i turned the pc off...turned it on and they were gone) then you should stop using the pc immediately....and either take the drive to a shop for recovery...or use another computer to get some recovery software

[flowergirl]

Thanks for that information, 'dsenette'.

Perhaps someday in the future someone will be using the 'search'
to find out what do about deleted photos or deleted files and they will
come across this thread and discover that they CAN be retrieved;
especially if done soon after the deletion and know what the first
steps they should take to accomplish this!

THANKS A MILLION for your help this time and previous times!

[flowergirl]

OH DEAR...I need your advice again.

I had left my computer at the computer shop because they said it needed updated.
So I really didn't get a chance to see the pictures they retrieved until I
got my computer home this afternoon.

There are at least 500 missing pictures.
They only retrieved less than 100. I think he thought he had them all?
I am scared. I tried to call but they were closed already...I left a message.

Here is my question:
Do you think he might have erased the place where the pictures were (after
they were deleted) when he did the update?

I will know this answer in the morning at 10am when they open but wondered
right now what you think. Do you think he can retrieve the rest or do you think
he erased them when doing the update?

HELP...I could use some peace of mind...many of these were IMPORTANT pictures.

Let this be a lesson to everyone reading to put digital photos on a CD as soon as possible!

[dsenette]

it's possible that they didn't look hard enough...without knowing what they used for the retrieval it's hard to say...it's possible that those pics are in fact gone...i doubt that once they retrieved stuff that they deleted anything else....it's possible that something would get mucked up by the updates since those do interact with the HD...but..if there are files still there they should still be retrievable...i would like to hope that anyone charging that much for service wouldn't "miss" files during a recovery like that....

[flowergirl]

Thanks for your reply...I have been watching for it, Dsenette.
I will let you know as soon as I talk with the guy tomorrow.
Thanks; you give me hope that they are still there!