Files in My Documents gone after System Recovery

[Wijono]

Certainly it is a great idea of tel ormanda, but unfortunately it was not "System Restore" that I did, it was partial System Recovery (Compaq F10) to resolve corrupted DLL. It will solve the problem if it were "System Restore".

Thanks anyway.

[Lucky24]

this just happened to my client, as well. Everything is GONE. Just GONE. Unfortunately for my client, she has no backups. No files found except a bunch of temp files from the windows xp reinstall. I can't believe the system recovery would delete the documents and settings folder, but it did. Yes, my client is at fault for not backing up my documents first, but to her credit it does say it doesn't delete anything in docs and settings (and she did it just because windows wouldn't boot). Yes she should have called me first before doing the system recovery, but now I'm at a loss. Un-delete programs seem to not be able to find anything.

did the original poster get this solved, and if so, how?

Is this possibly a incomparability with a MS patch and the HP system recovery? If so, why hasn't this been addressed? I've seen this problem on many websites.

This is extremely serious, both for my client, and for anyone else who mistakenly clicks the system recovery button (which shows up during EVERY boot of the system).

Edited April 18, 2007 by Lucky24

[nmX.Memnoch]

Check 'Documents and Settings' for an old profile. When you do a repair install the system recreates all user accounts. Since the new user account doesn't have the same SID as the original user account, it'll create a new profile. If it there is an existing directory structure for the profile it starts with appending the computer name to the new profile path. So you end up with something like this (red is old profiles, blue is new):

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator.COMPUTERNAME

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users.COMPUTERNAME

C:\Documents and Settings\LOCAL_USERNAME

C:\Documents and Settings\LOCAL_USERNAME.COMPUTERNAME

C:\Documents and Settings\DOMAIN_USERNAME

C:\Documents and Settings\DOMAIN_USERNAME.DOMAINNAME

Keep in mind that it will do this with domain accounts as well...even if the account isn't new, the machine install basically is.

Edit: I just noticed you mentioned HP System Recovery. It will have this same issue...unless of course she did a full System Recovery which WILL delete all files on the drive before doing the recovery.

Edited April 18, 2007 by nmX.Memnoch

[RJARRRPCGP]

With System Restore, if the files weren't there on the date that you told it to roll back to, they will be deleted!

That also means that if an application wasn't installed before the time of the restore point, the application won't be there!

[nmX.Memnoch]

WinXP's System Restore isn't supposed to mess with data files (i.e. Word docs, Excel spreadsheets, etc).

The System Recovery utilities from HP, Gateway, Dell et al will mess with data file if you aren't careful with how you run their System Recovery utils. Their's are designed to basically reinstall the computer to a "from the factory" state.

[master2872]

The DLL file in a PC running WinXP Home Edition was corrupted or missing, so that WinXP cannot start. The only option is than to do the System Recovery (F10).

The safe recovery was selected, and there was a message that said the data files will not be deleted. After the recovery is completed, indeed I found all the data files outside the "C:\Documents and Settings" are intact. But unfortunately all the files that were in "My Documents" which was located in the "C:\Documents and Settings" were completely wiped out!

Is that situation normal? If it is then the message that said the data file will not be deleted is really misleading!! Is there any way to recover those files that were in "My Documents" before? Or are they completely gone?

Thanks a lot!!

ok i figuerd out one way to get files back there should be afile in C:my documents and settings/(and old account name or same) but when you double click on it it should say acesses is diened thats where your old documents should be but you noticed that you cant acesses them at this time but the way to acesse them is to if you have xp home that is is reboot the computer in safe mode and log into a file with admin rights and when it gets done booting clicl start and go to my computer and your drive and documents and settings and right click the file and there shold be atab you couldnt see in windows but in safe mode it says sequrity and you should find something that says ownership you shoul be able to change ownership of your folder by clicking advanced there is a whole section like this on microsoft but you should b able to change ownership and all your files will be in that folder when its done loading all them up from the computers system

[Wijono]

As the originator of this thread I feel obliged to comment.

No, I did not manage to get back a single file that was lost!!

Luckily some of the important files, like photos, were backed up in DVD, otherwise ...

It was a dell box, and the partial system recovery is really disappointing!!

[JessicaHope]

This just happened to me.

For all of you looking for a recovery program "PC File Inspector" has always worked wonders for me.

I am going to test it tomorrow on the reformatted drive and see how it stands up. The program is free just google it.

It works well when you accidently delete your files so I assume it should handle this task as it claim which would be well.

Comments in regards to users not backing up their data first before attempting the recovery are correct but only in hind sight as the HP System Recovery application states that your data files will not be deleted. I myself said to myself just before using the program, "okay, that's alright, the worst that can happen is it fails and im left to run a linux boot disk backup my files and then reinstall windows."

Pretty misleading product and a complete waste of time and money. I contacted Hp Support and they told me to take ownership of the old accounts and directories, which I tried to expain to them wouldnt work cause they didn't exsist anymore. None the less I humored them thinking maybe they know something I don't and it didn't work.

So I went back and they said, " Sorry the files are deleted." " Is there any other situation I can assist you with today?." Thanks Hp Support. I hope to see this product removed from future systems.

They may as well just tell you, "This system has no recovery stratagies or appications to assist you in case of failure good luck." At least then I personally would consider it just based on their being honest."

I knew their was a reason I normally dont trust HP, or Lexmark, or Sony bundled software packages but I thought ah years have past since the last time I was screwed over by one of them. ( Cause I didn't use them anymore.) Maybe things have changed, maybe they have a better product now, after all it is 2007 right?. Wrong its still the same crap with the same runaround bs answers and results.

If you have products or methods that you normally use and know to work stick to them. Hp isn't wine it's not getting any better.

Once Im done with PC File Inspector I will update as to its effectiveness.

Much Love Bless.

[grey_yoma]

i have the same problem pls help..

i did a f10 and my documents were deleted but my memory was still the same,,but the documents are not even there...

is there any way that i can actually recovery/delete this files coz after i did a system recovery my memory went to less than 10% now..T-T...

operating on a low memory sux..is there any solution to this?

[Zyrt0x]

I had the same problem

I had a windows xp system that was protected with a password.

I did the hp system recovery.

After that I didn't have access to my previous "my documents".It displayed 0kb and error message that I had no access to that folder.

I tried recovery tools non of them worked witch is logic because the files were not deleted, I just couldn't access them.

I also tried windows system recovery that didn't worked either.

Then I looked for the folder c:/userdata. It wasn't there.

Then Linux saved my life.

I booted with ubuntu (you can also use knoppix) live cd. Browsed to "my documents". I could access all my files and back them up.

I only had to mount my harddisk in ubuntu.