Power surge, everything on PC deleted...help!?

Question

My daughter hit the power button on the power strip that everything on our computer is plugged into. After that, the computer would not boot up. My dad, whose fairly computer savy, determined that we had to perform a system restore. After we reloaded windows, we realized that everything, all our pictures files and programs from years, was gone!!!! It was supposedly being put into a "backup" file, but nothing is there. My dad put his old hardrive in his computer, which he loaded windows on, and our old hardrive is still there. Has this ever happened to anyone else? Any ideas about what we could do, if anything? Feel free to email me if you have any advice, as well. I'm desperate. I lost pictures of my daughter from when she was born, holidays, personal very important files, that are priceless to us. Of course, we can't afford a $1600 restore process though....any ideas?

Answer 1

A power outrage alone would not have caused such serious damage in the first place. You should have been able to reboot after turning the power back on again. You said you performed a "system restore." Are you sure it was a system restore? I ask because a system restore does not destroy any data which is already on your hard drive. A system restore just restores your computer to an earlier state before the problem occurred. There are other operations which will destroy files on a hard drive; for example, reinstalling Windows will wipe out the hard drive. Even a Windows repair will preserve your files. FYI, in the future, don't do anything drastic. Usually the problem is easier to fix than you first thought. In addition, it is a good idea to create a backup on to removable media, such as CD, DVD and/or an external hard drive.

As for how to recover your data, if you reinstalled Windows, it is highly unlikely that you can recover your files. To increase the chances of recovering the files, do not make any more changes to the hard drive. There are a number of file recovery programs which can try to recover your files. Try Iolo's Search & Recover (http://www.iolo.com/sr/4/). It comes with a free 30 day trial;so, you don't even have to buy it. On your dad's computer, install Search & Recover on his hard drive, not your hard drive. Next, connect your hard drive on to his computer. You can do the latter by using an external hard drive enclosure or connecting it directly to his computer if he has an empty 3.5" hard drive bay (you father should understand). Next, start Search & Recover and have it search your hard drive. The program will lists all files which it can recover. Some of these files might just be fragments but you should be able to recover some files. If you have any questions, just drop me an email.

Answer 2

Hitting the power button wouldn't cause that amount of damage. So there was no real need for a system restore. Sometimes you just need to disconnect the computer from the mains for about 30 seconds before trying to reboot it. Reinstalling an operating system may have wiped your personal data, But if it was backing up your system beforehand this backup file will be there somewhere.

Answer 3

It sounds like you haven't touched the affected drive, which is good. Files can be recovered pretty easily until the space on the harddrive that they occupy gets overwritten, then things get expensive as you say.

I haven't used it myself, but I've heard PC Inspector is a good tool for retrieving files lost in this manner. There are a lot of other tools you can buy for $30-$60 usd for the same thing, but I'd recommend one with a free version you can download that lets you test if recovery is possible before you buy.

In most cases, you need to run Windows on a second harddrive, load up the software there, then scan the affected harddrive and recover the files.

Answer 4

No offense to your father, but he isn't that computer "savy". when he did a system restore with the CDs that came with the machine he wiped everything out. He should have done a system repair, if that was an option. You can try and download one of those undelete programs to see if the files are still there and haven't been written over yet. If he did a full format, then good chance its all gone.

Answer 5

This happens a lot. First of all, very rarely does Windows need a full reinstall (Vista aside), but that's beside the point.

It is still possible to get the files back, but the more the hard drive they were stored on is used, the less chances of recovery. In cases like this, though, there are no truly free methods of recovery, unless you understand and have access to data recovery software.

Answer 6

Well when you did the system restore you probably wiped/formatted the hard drive.

That's my best guess.

The person above mention data recovery. That's not going to be a 100% solution, it's time consuming, and sometimes ineffective. You could have a service do it professionally and you'll get the best results that way... but it's costly.

Take this as a lesson to backup your pictures. I've done this before too and I too had to learn it the hard way. I backup my pictures on two hard drive, online (FTP site) and CD/DVD now

Answer 7

There are a number of issues to examine earlier you cry. Sniff around the case and means grant does something smell burnt . On greater end means supplys there is an on and rancid change and a few have a reset . Hit the reset if its there and change the pwer change off examine to work out if means is on the out enable (As grow to be mentioned earlier )you've been plugged right into a GFI (floor fault interupter or Arc Fault Interupter ) that's reset interior the residences fuse panel and doesnt look on the electrical powered wall out enable .except there is not any means on the out enable do no longer bypass interior the domicile fuse panel! If thers means on the wall out enable then plug your video reveal promptly into the electrical powered outlet no longer the surge protector , they often bypass undesirable after a surge . a delicate must be blinking on your video reveal often interior the wonderful hand corner no count number if it relatively is then plug your pc means cord in and turn on change . turn pc on Do you right here something /followers spinning/ tricky tension turning or see lighting fixtures ? it won't be your mom board it might desire to be your means grant examine that out at a ultimate purchase or pc save. while your observing your mom board do you spot any injury to the capacitators: they appear as if around pegs sticking up from board(blistered , blackened) or any warning signs of arcing in the time of circuit board, if so the board is definately shot. Have your means grant looked at If its undesirable replace it and with a bit of luck there grow to be no injury on your mb. One or the two would desire to be undesirable. If this would be a clean pc and nevertheless decrease than warrenty/ Then there grow to be NO means surge. It purely up and stop and you have been plugged right into a surge protector and while they provide you a clean one say thank you

Answer 8

You can purchase a digital image recovery program and have it search your drive. You should be able to get all the images back. This is a program that I've used. Digital Picture Recovery http://www.winutils.net/ it's only $27!! Even if you have reformatted the drive it will find the images.

Answer 9

Hit start then all programs then accessories then system tools then system restore then hit next then pick a highlighted date before your computer crashed and hit next and don't touch until done or it ask's you another question!

Answer 10

Something cannot disappear into nothing, your files are there somewhere, but it may cost you, see a certified tech.