Recovering deleted files from hard drive crash HELP

jjrock5 · May 18, 2011

Ok I hope some of you DSMers are computer smart.

Last Sunday I was writing a term paper when my laptop shows me a message that said "can't read Hard Drive data" or something similar and it prompts me to run a Recovery process. I think I had a virus from some software I downloaded two days prior. So I run the recovery and it fixes my Windows 7.

Everything seems normal at first but then I realize that all my hundreds of videos, photos, documents, and music are GONE.

.......

I heard that these can be recovered using certain Recovery software.

Does anybody know of a good program to use after a hard drive crash deletes all these types of files? Or anyway possible to get them back?

I did a "System Restore" but that didn't give me back my files, it just restored it to an earlier state.

Thanks for any help.

DSMxJB · May 18, 2011

jjrock5 said:
Ok I hope some of you DSMers are computer smart.

Last Sunday I was writing a term paper when my laptop shows me a message that said "can't read Hard Drive data" or something similar and it prompts me to run a Recovery process. I think I had a virus from some software I downloaded two days prior. So I run the recovery and it fixes my Windows 7.

Everything seems normal at first but then I realize that all my hundreds of videos, photos, documents, and music are GONE. .......

I heard that these can be recovered using certain Recovery software.

Does anybody know of a good program to use after a hard drive crash deletes all these types of files? Or anyway possible to get them back?

I did a "System Restore" but that didn't give me back my files, it just restored it to an earlier state.

Thanks for any help.

Use the search function and try to see if there is a folder called "windows old". If it is there everything from before the crash will be in that folder.

ktgurl87 · May 18, 2011

I talked to my dad who fixes computers for a living. He says it sounds like you have a bad sector on your hard drive. He said if you go to "My Computer" then right-click on "C:" and select properties, then tools, and have it do an error check. It should go through and find if there are any bad spots on the hard drive. He had to get off the phone because he was busy, but I think he said it will either automatically reboot your computer, or it will do this the next time you reboot it. He said, there's a really good chance that all of your files are gone. He said you could have a computer shop do some kind of recovery, but he said that can cost quite bit of money depending on what they have to do.

Hope I helped. :\

jjrock5 · May 18, 2011

Edit:

To DSMxJB: Nope that didn't work but thanks!

KTgurt: I will try that. Thanks!

snowborder714 · May 18, 2011

I just ran this on a hard drive that I had all the files disappear and it recovered a lot of stuff. It doesn't recover it cleanly though, so you'll have to do a search on the output folder for different file extensions. I used PhotoRec.
TestDisk Download - CGSecurity

Below Ambient · May 18, 2011

I've never had success recovering files using free software and the only software that i know of that works costs around $800...

snowborder714 · May 18, 2011

I recovered almost 100GB of data with the above software. There was a lot of junk in there, but I could easily search for .avi, .jpg, .pdf, etc. and find stuff I knew was there before.

Out of curiosity, what software do you know that works that costs that much?

97gst_spyder · May 18, 2011

Open the start menu, type folder options into the search box atthe bottom. Check 'show hidden files', go to computer and open C:, hold ctrl and press a. Then right click on a highlighted folder and go to properties. Un check the hidden box. Hit apply. Run malwarebytes.

There is a new virus/malware that hides everything and then tries to make you run a restore but it doesn't actually restore. I've dealt with this atleast 30 times in the last week at work.

If you can get online, I can use gotoassit and connect to your system and see if that's the issue or if something else happened.

ArticNemesis · May 18, 2011

97gst_spyder said:
There is a new virus/malware that hides everything and then tries to make you run a restore but it doesn't actually restore. I've dealt with this atleast 30 times in the last week at work.

It does indeed sound like the Windows Recovery Virus. Malwarebytes should clean it up, but for some reason it doesn't, here is a link to manually remove the virus. It involves some registry editing and such, but you should be able to get it gone with one of those two options.

Windows Recovery virus – how to get rid of fake WindowsRecovery manually

jjrock5 · May 19, 2011

97gst_spyder said:
Open the start menu, type folder options into the search box atthe bottom. Check 'show hidden files', go to computer and open C:, hold ctrl and press a. Then right click on a highlighted folder and go to properties. Un check the hidden box. Hit apply. Run malwarebytes.

There is a new virus/malware that hides everything and then tries to make you run a restore but it doesn't actually restore. I've dealt with this atleast 30 times in the last week at work.

If you can get online, I can use gotoassit and connect to your system and see if that's the issue or if something else happened.

Dude you are the MOTHERFVCKING man! :hellyeah:

Tried it and it worked. All my damn files were hidden!

Thanks to everybody fot their input.

I'm gonna go buy me a Terabyte worth of external USB drive now. :thumb:

Do you if I can get Malwarebytes for free somewhere? I went on their site and they sell it for $25.

snowborder714 · May 19, 2011

Malwarebytes : Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a free download that removes viruses and malware from your computer

-red97rum- · May 19, 2011

97gst_spyder said:
Open the start menu, type folder options into the search box atthe bottom. Check 'show hidden files', go to computer and open C:, hold ctrl and press a. Then right click on a highlighted folder and go to properties. Un check the hidden box. Hit apply. Run malwarebytes.

There is a new virus/malware that hides everything and then tries to make you run a restore but it doesn't actually restore. I've dealt with this atleast 30 times in the last week at work.

If you can get online, I can use gotoassit and connect to your system and see if that's the issue or if something else happened.

+1 on this one. I had a computer at work last week that got infected with this annoying malware. Set everything the Program Files directory to hidden. I caught it as soon as I noticed all the shorcuts were missing from the start menu.

Malwarebytes (MBAM) has a free version and absolutely kicks ass. You can download it from cnet: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com

97gst_spyder · May 19, 2011

Np man.... I work at Dell so its kinda second nature.

As for malwarebytes, the free one is fine. But you have to update it manual and run it manually. Also, it will not add any bs to startup or services. So no performance loss when your not running it.

PieEyedPiper · May 19, 2011

97gst_spyder said:
Np man.... I work at Dell so its kinda second nature.

As for malwarebytes, the free one is fine. But you have to update it manual and run it manually. Also, it will not add any bs to startup or services. So no performance loss when your not running it.

Good job, bro. I'm a tech and I've yet to see this one come through. I would have just said to connect the hard drive to a bench machine and extract the data manually. It's always beautiful when the solution is both simple and of course doesn't involve a format.

Does this mainly affect "typical users" as in, the hidden files option has never been altered? Or does the malware reset the setting for users who allow the viewing of hidden files?

97gst_spyder · May 19, 2011

It gives the user a false Windows issue, prompts you to 'restore' the system. User clicks ok, then the system reboots to see that everything is gone.

Simplest way to tell is when everything is missing from the start menu. But the computer is running fine.

scottparisi14 · Jun 6, 2011

System restore doesn't recover the deleted user files like pictures, mails etc, It just restores the system to an earlier state i.e it restore system files. You can recover your data using a third party data recovery software, Here i suggest you to use "Kernel for FAT and NTFS" I am sure you can recover your data using this software.

The best way of recovering is to uninstall the drive from which you want to recover data and connect it to another system as an external drive where you have installed data recovery software. Now scan the drive using the data recovery software and one more thing don't use the same drive to save the recovered data

laserspeeddemon · Jun 6, 2011

This is why I love Linux. With Linux you can boot to a LiveCD disk, move all your files to a thumbdrive and then reload Linux.

97gst_spyder · Jun 6, 2011

scottparisi14 said:
System restore doesn't recover the deleted user files like pictures, mails etc, It just restores the system to an earlier state i.e it restore system files. You can recover your data using a third party data recovery software, Here i suggest you to use "Kernel for FAT and NTFS" I am sure you can recover your data using this software.

The best way of recovering is to uninstall the drive from which you want to recover data and connect it to another system as an external drive where you have installed data recovery software. Now scan the drive using the data recovery software and one more thing don't use the same drive to save the recovered data

He simply had a virus/malware issue. Nothing was actually missing.

And yes system restore just does the registry basically.

PieEyedPiper · Jun 6, 2011

laserspeeddemon said:
This is why I love Linux. With Linux you can boot to a LiveCD disk, move all your files to a thumbdrive and then reload Linux.

This is why I love Windows. With Windows you can boot to a MiniXP disk, move all your files to a thumbdrive and then reload Windows.

Or better yet! Use the same thumbdrive with a usb bootable MiniXP partition and move all your files to a folder on that same thumbdrive. No disks at all.

brandonwh64 · Jun 6, 2011

PieEyedPiper said:
This is why I love Windows. With Windows you can boot to a MiniXP disk, move all your files to a thumbdrive and then reload Windows.

Or better yet! Use the same thumbdrive with a usb bootable MiniXP partition and move all your files to a folder on that same thumbdrive. No disks at all.

this is true as well! hirens boot CD is perfect for IT departments to do a wide range of fixes to most windows PCs

I am a network tech at Alstom turbines in Chattanooga TN and I also do a small help desk when we are not busy with other things. Hirens boot CD has helped me fix many of our employees PCs and recover lost files.

PieEyedPiper · Jun 6, 2011

brandonwh64 said:
this is true as well! hirens boot CD is perfect for IT departments to do a wide range of fixes to most windows PCs

I am a network tech at Alstom turbines in Chattanooga TN and I also do a small help desk when we are not busy with other things. Hirens boot CD has helped me fix many of our employees PCs and recover lost files.

The only thing I don't like about hiren's is lack of instruction. I'm certain the package is more powerful than I know.

I use:
-minixp
-minilinux(or whatever its called)
-malwarebytes
-nod32 maybe?
-WesternDigital hdd scan tool
-login password crackers

Not sure if there's anything else I use and the cd has like 500 things on it so I'm clearly missing out on some useful tools.

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Recovering deleted files from hard drive crash HELP

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