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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Images lost in system restore
Wesley R. Bush, Photographer
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Nashville | TN | U.S. | Posted: 8:19 PM on 02.03.09 |
->> I bought a new computer yesterday and was in the process of transferring files when my old computer crashed and would only boot during safemode, so I tried to use the system restore to get back (I had no previous save points). Now it seems to be back to the computer I had on day one with the images I had transferred from yet another previous computer. All the files I hadn't backed up on cd aren't there.
Does anyone know how I can get back the images? |
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Rich Cruse, Photographer
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Laguna Niguel | CA | USA | Posted: 12:11 PM on 02.04.09 |
->> Wesley: Have you run hard drive repair software on your computer? Drive Recovery services should be the last resort because they can cost a lot- we are talking hundreds of dollars!
Disk Warrior is a great program you can purchase to repair your drive. Often times, files appear "lost" when in reality it is the catalog or "directory" that keeps track of everything becomes corrupt. Disk Warrior will repair this directory and bring your files back.
Should Disk Warrior be unable to restore your drive, take the computer to the local Apple Store or Apple Certified Repair Center. Also, if you have Apple Care, try calling Apple. They might be able to make some suggestions.
Best wishes,
Rich |
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Eric Canha, Photographer
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Brockton | MA | United States | Posted: 12:52 PM on 02.04.09 |
->> One thing to consider. If this is a windows machine, EVERY time that you boot the thing the page file grows and shrinks. Each attempt to 'fix' the drive will run the risk of over writing sectors that were once used by a file.
If you are a member of any of the professional groups or guilds check with them (and your insurance company) for data rescue services that are available at either a discount or as part of the membership.
Rich is correct in that recovery services can run thousands or even TENS of thousands of dollars. Real question becomes how valuable those files are. |
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Marvin Gentry, Photographer
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Birmingham | AL | USA | Posted: 1:10 PM on 02.04.09 |
| ->> Rich, i didnt see where Wesley said he had a MAC so what would you use it you were trying to recover a PC?? |
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Rich Cruse, Photographer
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Laguna Niguel | CA | USA | Posted: 1:20 PM on 02.04.09 |
->> Whoops!
Maybe I confused him someone else's post. Still, using a drive repair program for PC would be the first choice. If you ever have a problem with lost files, stop using the drive immediately. Files can be recovered as long as they are not overwritten. If you continue to use the drive, you risk the computer writing over your files. A file is not deleted when you empty the trash, the file remains but it is removed from the directory which tells the computer it is okay to overwrite the file (in basic terms). Recovery software will re-catalog the drive and restore missing files when possible.
Hard drive recovery services are a last resort. A back-up drive is a lot cheaper than Drive Savers.
Good luck! |
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John Riddell, Photographer
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| ON | Canada | Posted: 1:48 PM on 02.04.09 |
->> Free trial of the Ontrack software to see what you can recover before laying out any money. You get one free file to test to see that it works.
http://www.ontrackdatarecovery.com/file-recovery-software/
Easy Recovery is what you're looking for. Good luck.
(and yes, I work for them) |
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Wesley R. Bush, Photographer
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Nashville | TN | U.S. | Posted: 6:19 PM on 02.04.09 |
->> It's an XP, and a few months ago, the cd burner quit working, so the only way I could transfer files was by downloading them onto usb flash drive. I was actually downloading some files onto it when I went into the other room while they downloaded. When I came back, the computer was rebooting itself, and the only way I could get back into windows was through safe mode. When it started up, it gave me the option to use the system restore option, but I had never saved a restore point, so I guess it went back to the day I got the computer because it still had SOME of the files I had put on it the day I got it (weird), but everything newer is gone (even though the system restore option said it would not affect any saved files or documents). Now they are nowhere to be found, but the hard drive itself still shows the amount of space being used as it used to with the files there.
Even in this previous state, the computer is throwing errors left and right, so I doubt it could even handle installing something. I can click on MY COMPUTER and it take 5 minutes to even register that I clicked it.
Luckily I had all (most) of my old WORK backed up, but all my personal stuff is gone except the random cds I had burned to have enlarged. I've heard Cherry Systems can get to anything, but I'm afraid it's going to be pretty cost prohibitive. I'll post back here when I find out how much it is (was too busy today to be able to call). |
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Wesley R. Bush, Photographer
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Nashville | TN | U.S. | Posted: 6:00 PM on 02.05.09 |
->> I haven't sent it back yet, but I did get an email from the company responding to my first inquiry. I'll probably end up spending it to get it back, but I'm a little strapped for cash right now to pony up. Here's their email:
Cherry Systems will do a basic diagnosis at no charge to determine the type of failure and damage the hard drive may have sustained. Our recovery rates start at $449, with other tiers of pricing based on your time requirements and level of failure to the drive. We turn the basic diag. within 24 hours, so prognosis, ETA and dollar amounts are known fairly quickly. As for options for return of data, you can rent one of our external USB units, or put the data onto CDs or DVDs, depending on how much data is retrieved. We can sell a new hard drive for replacement, but if it is the only drive in the system, you must have all your operating system installation disks to pre-install. If you would like to ship it, please follow the shipping instructions on our website, http://www.cherrysystems.com, under “How to send in your media.” |
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Mark Peters, Photographer
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Highland | IL | USA | Posted: 6:29 PM on 02.05.09 |
->> Wesley,
Do you have another PC available to you? What you can try is to remove the hard drive and put it into an external shell (such as these http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?CatId=277...).
Then boot up your other PC and connect your now "external" hard drive and see if the other drive will recognize it and just see it as a file storage device. This has worked for me in the past. |
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John Peterson, Photographer
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Lincoln | NE | USA | Posted: 6:30 PM on 02.05.09 |
| ->> I've done this a couple of times over the years. If the disk spins up and the operating system is messed up. Figure out the type of drive IDE or SATA. Buy a hard disk enclosure that works with that type of drive for $30 to $50 and put the old hard drive in it. Then plug it into the usb port on the new computer. See if you can copy the files off of it. If it doesn't work then try SpinRite to fix the disk. Couple things to try before spending $500 or more. Good luck. After the last time a bought a Buffalo Tera Server and I keep everything backed up on it. |
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John Peterson, Photographer
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Lincoln | NE | USA | Posted: 6:31 PM on 02.05.09 |
| ->> Mark, you beat me. |
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Rich Cruse, Photographer
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Laguna Niguel | CA | USA | Posted: 6:39 PM on 02.05.09 |
->> Dear Wesley:
I don't know if you realize that most software like John or I suggested can do just as much to recover your files as this recovery company can. If there is nothing wrong with the physical drive and it has been corrupted somehow, there are a number of really good programs for recovering data. Prosoft makes Data Rescue for PC (and Drive Genius for Mac). You can download a free demo of Data Rescue PC and it will: Scan and display a list of all the found files, and Recover 1 file 5 megs or less in size. Should you see all the files you need and want to recover them, you simply purchase a license and the software will recover your files!
This is a lot cheaper than the fee you have been quoted. Data Rescue for PC sells for $99 on their website.
http://www.prosofteng.com/
It is very possible that you may have written over some of your files when you did the System Restore. If that is the case -no one can recover those files. It reminds me of the time in high school photo class when one of the students had a camera malfunction and the film did not advance. There was one big black frame where the camera had exposed the same frame 36 times. He asked "Can I still get my pictures out of this?".
The key when you have a drive malfunction or corruption and there are irreplaceable files on it, take it offline immediately. Drive recovery software often comes with a bootable disc that will allow you to fix drive problems without overwriting existing files on the affected drive.
Companies like Drive Savers do amazing work, but they cost a lot of money. They specialize in recovering data from broken drives or drives that have been through flood or fire. Your drive is corrupt, not broken. Try the software solution first.
Best of Luck!
Rich |
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Mark Davis, Photographer
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Decatur | AL | USA | Posted: 9:49 PM on 02.05.09 |
| ->> Pull the hard drive from the computer then install it in the new machine not as a master drive but as a slave drive. The files and photographs will be on the hard drive, but since its on the new machine you will not be using the operating system on that drive. The drive will show up as a new hard drive on the newly installed machine, then just search the files and and folders for your photographs. They should display with no problem. |
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Wesley R. Bush, Photographer
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Nashville | TN | U.S. | Posted: 10:51 PM on 02.05.09 |
| ->> Mark: I actually just tried that. In my new computer (both Dells), both the power connector and data connectors are different than my old computer. I'm going to check and see if there are converters and then try to squeeze one of those programs on it and see if it'll install. It's just trashed right now and will barely run anything at all. |
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Rich Cruse, Photographer
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Laguna Niguel | CA | USA | Posted: 1:39 AM on 02.06.09 |
| ->> Sounds like the new computer uses SATA and the old one is IDE/ATA. Do yourself a favor and get an external case for the old drive. Make sure it is an old style IDE/ATA. You can hook it up to to USB port on the new computer and run disk utility software. Better yet, take it to a computer repair shop. Your problem is not uncommon and they can have you up and running in no time! |
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Wesley R. Bush, Photographer
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Nashville | TN | U.S. | Posted: 8:43 AM on 02.06.09 |
| ->> Rich: I actually didn't know I could do that until now. I think I'm going to try that and see if the files will show up. I'll let you know. Thanks! |
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Rich Cruse, Photographer
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Laguna Niguel | CA | USA | Posted: 1:11 PM on 02.06.09 |
->> You are welcome Wesley. We all have had these types of things happen.
Kind regards,
Rich |
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Jim Cowsert, Photographer
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Grapevine | TX | USA | Posted: 8:18 PM on 02.06.09 |
->> Buy one of these:
http://tinyurl.com/2lrkgl
In my past profession I did forensic data recovery for a police department. Since then I now do data recovery p/t but not forensically. Like others have suggested, remove the drive and fire it up as a slave and see if you can find the files and copy them over. If they are corrupted try a program such as the San Disk recovery disk that comes along with their CF cards. It says that it will only work on flash media, but I've used it to recover corrupted files from HDD's as long as it's mounted as a slave drive on a USB. Haven't tried it on firewire but would probably work too.
The little device I linked to is a very handy tool to have if you have multiple drives laying around like I do to pull old music, photos, etc..off from. |
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Bill Miller, Photographer
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Thousand Palms | CA | USA | Posted: 9:58 PM on 02.06.09 |
->> Wesley, you will be very lucky to get any of your files back. What is being missed is that after your old system crashed, you did a restore. This over wrote your existing data that was there and restored it to the point when you did the backup.
There may be some areas of the disk that can be salvaged, but it will be just luck. If that happens again "DO NOT" do a restore. Use one of the data recovery software packages or send it to Seagate or another recovery service, then you stand a pretty good chance of getting your data back.
Try Seagate's recovery service, the evaluation fee will be waived.
https://services.seagate.com/referral.aspx?GUID=17AC871DAE7B4696A39ACC735E4... |
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