Open File With?

Question

I recently deleted an important file from my computer that contained all of my music, pictures etc. and it didnt go to my recycle bin. I think I found it only I cant open it due to the fact that it was found under an unknown file type so when I go to open it, it asks what type of file I want to open it with. The list thats brought up doesnt have the .tmp option does anyone know how I can turn it back into a folder? I know this may sound a bit confusing but I really need help. I've tried everything unforchunately my system restore was disabled so I cant even restore my pc to a past date. The file was deleted from my documents and settings folder if that helps any??? I'm up for ANY suggestions, I really want that foder back.

Answer 1

You can try using data recovery software like get data back for ntfs or fat32 and you can get it from here http://www.runtime.org/

Answer 2

Ok, the following guess is applicable if u deleted a "folder" and not a "file" as stated in ur first sentence.

The reason why the folder u deleted is not in the recycle bin is because it was too big to fit in there. Depending on the amount of space u allow for ur recycle bin, anything bigger than that gets deleted permanently without going through the bin. Windows normally asks u to confirm the permanent delete b4 doing it though.

In this case, the .tmp file is not the thing u deleted and so cannot be converted into a folder.

To recover the lost folder, try searching for a recovery software. For example, I know there used to be a software from symantec called ghost that allowed ppl to recover data even after formatting their hard drive. There might be some simlar programs out there but I dont know any.

If to recover the folder, u used a recovery software and ended up with the tmp file, then I suggest u try find something associated with that software to open the tmp file.

Note: Those recovery softwares are not meant for "the casual user", so I suggest if u rly rly want ur folder back, go to one of the computer shops in ur area and ask them.

Answer 3

Well the missing files are not truly in your system anymore- the .tmp file is a temp file and I don't know of anyway to restore a .tmp file after the original is gone. That being said, often times the system duplicates files and you may find them in the oddest places (for instance some photo editors such as Picasa will cache their own version of the file or photo and save it in their library. You can try going into apps of folders you may have edited photos or music files with and search through them for your content. Go to Program files on your local disk drive (using Windows Explorer )and start opening them up, you might find copies two or three or even four sub folders down. Its a shot in the dark but your other options are taking your hard drive to a specialist to attempt to recover the missing files (they remain on your hard drive once deleted until other files are written over the top of them. You probably can't recover them but an expert can, if you don't add a bunch of new files in the meantime. There are several apps available for data recovery- go to download.com and search for data recovery 'free' apps. Also so you know, System restore won't restore personal documents anyway, only system settings and such. Anything in your My Documents categories (photos, videos, etc) are not restored or deleted by using System Restore. Good luck.

Answer 4

A computer uses the three-character extender code to determine what program is used to open it.

Youngguy.exe is a file the runs a program.
Younguy.bmp is a file that opens a bmp picture.
Youngguy.doc is a file that opens a document in Word.

So if you have a file_name.tmp then you can rename it file_name.mp3 and when you click on it to open it then the computer will try to use your default media player to open that file and play it.

If you have a file_name.tmp then it sounds like a single file not a folder. Folders don’t have the three-character extender code. The tmp extender code is used for Windows temporary files and once the install, upgrade, or update is complete then it is safe to delete these files. They are no longer required. An excellent operating system would delete those files itself, after it was finished using them, but we all have to work with Microsoft Windows.

I doubt that your file_name.tmp is the music and picture folder that you are looking for. To find that you need something like the program Undelete, which can be used to recover files that have passed beyond the recycle bin.

Check out this Google Search for Freeware programs: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLR,GGLR:2006-49,GGLR:en&q=undelete+freeware

If you can’t get one then check out this Google Search for programs that you have to pay for: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLR,GGLR:2006-49,GGLR:en&q=undelete+softwares

However, you have one major problem. When a file is deleted it is sent to the recycle bin and remains unchanged in case you want to restore it. When you empty the recycle bin those programs remain unchanged. The difference is that their spot in the FAT (File Allocation Table) is lost. The computer can’t find them any more and considers the sectors that they used to occupy as blank ones. Undelete software scans the disk/hard drive looking for those file names that are missing in the FAT, which you provide (you have to know those file names to get them back). Since the computer and the FAT consider those sectors to be full of blank data they will use them to write new data in, thus over writing your deleted files, and causing you to permanently lose those files. The more you use your computer, the more chance you have of seeing these files lost. That means if you keep your files on the same hard drive as your operating system then when you install an Undelete program you could be doing more damage to your lost files.

This is a classic case that proves the need for a backup. Once while playing with Windows 3.3 I deleted the entire DOS directory, which is the core of the operating system. So when I rebooted my computer I had no Operating System (OS). I had to reinstall my OS and before I could do that I had to reformat the drive. This is like taking all the sectors off the drive and rewriting them. If you do this then any information you have on the hard drive is permanently lost. I learned that lesson the hard way. Almost 15 years later I another OS malfunction. I thought I was safe because I had my data saved on another drive, but when I took the opportunity to upgrade the machine a little there was a current surge which destroyed my data drive. Since that time I bought a third drive that I use to mirror the data on the second drive, and I bought an external drive to make a third backup. The moral of the story is that you can never have too many backups and if you have a lot of data (I used to) then the need to create a backup is even more crucial.

Answer 5

You left click on the zip file to open the menu screen and use the menu item called extract. This will extract the files to a folder with the same name as the zip file. If you only want to see the contents download and install 7zip. It's free software.

Answer 6

Did you delete a "file" or a "folder"???

In either case if you used regular old delete, it is in your recycle bin and you can simply right click on it and choose "restore".

BTW a file will not "hold" any of your pics, vids, music or any other file. Only a folder will do that.

Answer 7

Sorry, even Restore wouldn't help. My guess is it was too big a file to fit in the recycle bin. Windows would have warned you it was too big, but you ignored the warning. If I'm wrong and you think you found it, what is it's extension, eg. .mp3, .wma, .jpg etc.
Let us know, but don't get your hopes up. Next time back up your important files. It's very easy to do on a CD or external hard drive.

Answer 8

Hard to understand what's your problem.

All deleted file should go to recycle bin.
If you can find it there, it means you have activated
the "remove files immediately" option...

But i you want to recover a deleted file, you can use
GetDataBack software....

Answer 9

I think you are mistaken, but you can always Open with NOTEPAD. You will probably be able to see something in it that will tell you what you are looking at.

You could also download a Hex editor to take a look inside the file. Try locating HexEdit.

Answer 10

I suggest your file type is mistaken?

blahblah.jpg -> blahblah.jpk something like that? i do not really understand how you can see it but you can't open it.


IF not i think you are talking about this
open the link and read the descriptions!
good luck!
http://filext.com/detaillist.php?extdetail=FOLDER