[shylock67]

The PC I use at work is backed up daily to an external HD. Up until recently I had my USB flash drive inserted to this PC for saving stock documents. I had a number of files on this USB stick which were deleted prior to this USB being used in the workplace. I now need some of these deleted files back from this drive which is no longer used on the work PC and has now unfortunatly been formatted on another pc. Will the folders that were on the usb stick have been backed up on the External HD and will I be able to retrieve the deleted files that were on the USB stick too? I must point out these files were deleted from the usb prior to being used on the work PC.

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shylock57

Welcome to Geeks to Go

It is extremely difficult to provide you with positive advice

Firstly you do not say what was being used for backup

For instance the included backup in windows 7 or some installed utility

If for instance you are using backup on win7, then the backup uses the settings estabslished when back up was first set up.
This is SO whether backup has been scheduled or is started on command.

So if that flash drive was not included in the backup set up, when it was first set up, it is not included now., and as it is a flash drive of course rather than an external drive which never usually changes its allocated letter - you will see the problem
Additionally to that FAT32 file system are NOT backed up, so if the flash drive was formatted FAT32 the answer is NO - NTFS file systems are.

Let me chooseYou can choose to back up individual folders, libraries, or drives.


Notes

• All files in known system folders (folders that contain files that Windows needs to run), and known program files (files that define themselves as part of a program in the registry when the program is installed) will not be backed up even if they are in a selected folder.
• If a folder or drive is not selected, the contents of that folder or drive are not backed up.

Windows Backup won't back up the following items:

• Program files (files that define themselves as part of a program in the registry when the program is installed).
• Files stored on hard disks that are formatted using the FAT file system.
• Files that are in the Recycle Bin.
• Temporary files on drives smaller than 1 GB
  Here is a screenshot
  
  
  The settings first established are the settings used for backup now
  
  The settings may be altered by clicking on change settings - when you firstly select the location for the backup and secondly what to backup on let me choose
  
  That all said it is extemely unlikely.
  
  That explained and without knowing more detail and not wishing to be in any way unhelpful is the easiest answer to
  WAS IT BACKED UP
  

  Will the folders that were on the usb stick have been backed up on the External HD

  not simply to check.
  
  As regards the second part of the question, I personally very much doubt it.
  If it had not been written to - maybe
  Professional data recovery - maybe at a cost
  Free data recovery programs, simply google and try one.
  Do not of course install on the flash drive. - the recovery program

[Macboatmaster]

shylock57

Welcome to Geeks to Go

It is extremely difficult to provide you with positive advice

Firstly you do not say what was being used for backup

For instance the included backup in windows 7 or some installed utility

If for instance you are using backup on win7, then the backup uses the settings estabslished when back up was first set up.
This is SO whether backup has been scheduled or is started on command.

So if that flash drive was not included in the backup set up, when it was first set up, it is not included now., and as it is a flash drive of course rather than an external drive which never usually changes its allocated letter - you will see the problem
Additionally to that FAT32 file system are NOT backed up, so if the flash drive was formatted FAT32 the answer is NO - NTFS file systems are.

Let me chooseYou can choose to back up individual folders, libraries, or drives.


Notes

• All files in known system folders (folders that contain files that Windows needs to run), and known program files (files that define themselves as part of a program in the registry when the program is installed) will not be backed up even if they are in a selected folder.
• If a folder or drive is not selected, the contents of that folder or drive are not backed up.

Windows Backup won't back up the following items:

• Program files (files that define themselves as part of a program in the registry when the program is installed).
• Files stored on hard disks that are formatted using the FAT file system.
• Files that are in the Recycle Bin.
• Temporary files on drives smaller than 1 GB
  Here is a screenshot
  
  
  The settings first established are the settings used for backup now
  
  The settings may be altered by clicking on change settings - when you firstly select the location for the backup and secondly what to backup on let me choose
  
  That all said it is extemely unlikely.
  
  That explained and without knowing more detail and not wishing to be in any way unhelpful is the easiest answer to
  WAS IT BACKED UP
  

  Will the folders that were on the usb stick have been backed up on the External HD

  not simply to check.
  
  As regards the second part of the question, I personally very much doubt it.
  If it had not been written to - maybe
  Professional data recovery - maybe at a cost
  Free data recovery programs, simply google and try one.
  Do not of course install on the flash drive. - the recovery program

[shylock67]

The PC was backed up with the Win7 back up system.
It was a Fat32 USB the files were on.
To make matters worse the USB stick is now lost.

Thanks for your response. So it will appear the files that were originally deleted on the USB which could have been retrieved from the USB with say Easus recovery cannot be retrieved from the HD as -

a) the original back up would not have included the files present on the USB due to it being a Fat32 USB.
b) deleted files on a fat32 USB stick would not have been backed up nor can they be retrieved from anywhere other than the original USB stick


sorry if this is all very vague, im not very PC literate

[Macboatmaster]

No need to apologise - re lack of knowledge
We all started off from there and continue to learn every day

I concur with your assessment.
NOT backed up

and if the usb flash pen is now lost - even magic will not recover them.

Sorry but I think it is a lost cause., however as I said check the backup on the external - I do NOT expect they are there.

[shylock67]

If there is no longer the original Fat 32 USB stick and if this lost stick was indeed backed up onto the external HD can I retrieve the deleted files as opposed to the ones that were not deleted? They were deleted prior to the back up. Does the Win 7 back up save deleted files that were on the USB as well as the ones present? Can I access them from the back up?

[Troy]

If a file is deleted it will not be included in the backup. If you need to recover files that were deleted off the USB stick before the backup was even configured, I'm sorry to say this would not be possible. If ever you find the USB stick again, I would suggest the only option (slim, at that) would be to send it in to a professional data recovery company for a quote - if they even are able to retrieve the files you are looking for.

[Macboatmaster]

If ever you find the USB stick again, I would suggest the only option (slim, at that) would be to send it in to a professional data recovery company for a quote - if they even are able to retrieve the files you are looking for

I concur with my colleague Troy

As regards the second part of the question, I personally very much doubt it.
If it had not been written to - maybe
Professional data recovery - maybe at a cost
Free data recovery programs, simply google and try one.
Do not of course install on the flash drive. - the recovery program