Question

Where have my folders and files gone?

Asked by: Donnie616

Hi Experts,

I have a HDD with Windows 7 Beta on it.  I removed it from its home PC because the registry became corrupt. It is now on another PC. After many hours of trying to repair it, It was agreed on EE that it would be best to remove it to another PC and retrieve my files.   The disk is a 80GB SATA drive.  The drive shows 66GB of used space. That is exactly correct. Part of that is 1 or 2 older back ups. Here is my problem.

In the new PC Most of the folders are faded or come show as empty.  The most common message I get is_ - - -"Appdata\don\example\localapps\data\example\ is not accessible." "Access is denied."
Documents and settings is faded and empty.----or is it?  Access is denied all over this drive or folders are empty.  ( that path was just an example)

I really do not know if it matters because I cannot find ANY of the files and folders I need and if I do they are partially or completely empty.  But the 66GB is correct. That is what it should be.  They are really important items that I backed up.  And I was in the process of updating the back ups when the PC decided not to ever boot again.  

Part of that 66GB should be my older backed-up files. They were also on a separate partitition that is missing. ( yes I know --NOT on the same drive)  I have one question to ask with many little parts. So then where is 66GB of my files?  but more importantly, how can I get them back?   Do I need elevated privileges here?  I just have not found one single file that I need.  I would estimate that I have 40GB of stuff that I need and cannot find.  Lots of them are invaluable .EXE files to expensive apps and programs.  One desktop folder held 25GB of ISO files.  That is what I am after. There are 3 files in that folder.  That is what I mean.  Where the - - - - - - are rest of them?

I  now have the drive plugged into a PC running Windows XP Professional 64 bit.  I do not know what to do.

I guess the real question simply is:  How do I find and retrieve my files and folders?

Thank you in advance.

donnie616

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Asked On
2009-11-02 at 16:17:59ID24865765
Topics

Operating Systems Miscellaneous

,

Computer Hard Drives

,

Hard Drives & Storage

Participating Experts
3
Points
500
Comments
11

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Answers

 

by: EirmanPosted on 2009-11-02 at 16:23:06ID: 25725172

Run GETDATABACK from http://www.runtime.org/

It's free to try. You only pay If your files are recoverable

 

by: maximus5328Posted on 2009-11-02 at 16:36:43ID: 25725223

You probably just don't have permissions to access the files. Try opening Users folder, there you should see a folder named after your username, try opening that. If you get "Access Denied" error, here is how to fix it:
Right-click on the unaccessible folder > Properties > Security tab > Advanced > Owner tab
Here make yourself the new owner (there is also an option to apply new settings to child objects - do that).
See if this helps.

 

by: Donnie616Posted on 2009-11-02 at 17:07:35ID: 25725350

Thanks guys.  I have 1 good news and 2 bad.  Bad news is that The 66GB is EMPTY space, not full.  Good news is that some how I amseeing the back up folder in that other partiton from sept 09.  That is ok and will have to do.  #2 bad news is that I cannot open or institute the backed up images file of the disk. (42GB) The files are in XML form.  I am being asked to put them into XSL and hit refresh.  Now I am really am lost.  This is a new install of XP and there is not much software on it yet.  Hardly any.

Obviously these folders are really empty. (or are they?)  Ther is only 15 GB of data left on the drive.  So where did the rest go?  Thanks be tot he back up drive.

My files are on this back up drive and I cannot get them.  Any one know how to make XSL files?

Thanks

 

by: maximus5328Posted on 2009-11-02 at 18:34:39ID: 25725655

What application did you use to backup? I don't think you need to convert XML files. The original backup application will know what to do with them.

 

by: pcspecialistsPosted on 2009-11-02 at 20:52:53ID: 25726144

I agree with maximus, you'll get those exact errors and folders that seem empty if you haven't taken ownership of those files.  Here is a step by step guide with screenshots:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=3924169

If you can get access to all your files maybe you won't have to mess with the backup.

 

by: Donnie616Posted on 2009-11-04 at 14:24:11ID: 25744695

Thank you so mucH.  I have been Sooooo sick with a bug I have not touched a Keyboard since Monday I think.  Still feel lousy but I dot want to lose your help, so I ask you to pleas understand and be patient with me.  I really am in a deep hole with this HD.  

o answer your question,  I used the native windows back up application.  The drive is actually a 160GB drive with the 1st 80gb partition for the Beta testing of Win 7 and the 2nd 80GB partition for backups.  Whenever it backed up (automatically) i deleted the former back up for reasons of space.  I did that in October ,deleting September's backup, supposedly of just my ISOs.  (that I have yet to burn to disks)

To PCspecialists, I do not have access to ANYTHING.  The drive is now in another PC as a slave(per say), because It would not boot at all.  It would not repair itself.   No command line I spent 2 days with the EXPerts here until the conclusion to reinstall was reached . The place you refferred me to is excllent
and I will use it in the future, but this Hd goes in a constant loop of failed installs and restarts.  (TWO Full days of trying with assistance  from E)  I wish I knew how to get that questions comments onto this question, but I do not know how .

{vallis:
Sorry Donnie, missed the fact that this is a beta install. I don't think it's possible to do a repair install.

Looks like a clean install to me too.}

That is the final conclusion we reached .  Soryy to be a nag, but now what, if there is any hope at all?

Thanks again.

 

by: pcspecialistsPosted on 2009-11-04 at 17:08:57ID: 25745898

I think we were all answering based off your original question:  "Most of the folders are faded or come show as empty.  The most common message I get is_ - - -"Appdata\don\example\localapps\data\example\ is not accessible." "Access is denied.""

If that is still your question (getting into the inaccessible folders), it's really irrelevant what kind of boot / Windows problems the drive is having.  If you can see the drive in your other PC and get into the Users folder, then the answers given here should allow you to get into those inaccessible folders.

 

by: Donnie616Posted on 2009-11-04 at 20:34:56ID: 25746799

Ok .  Thank you.  Yes that is most certainly my question (getting into inaccessible folders.) That is really good news.I am really groggy from illness but  I will definitely do as you say.  As soon as humanly possible.  Because I sure do not have a clue on my own.   I know nothing about getting the right permissions, etc..   Thanks again.

and Good nite.

 

by: Donnie616Posted on 2009-11-05 at 12:13:47ID: 25753438

Hi  I am still working on this.  A bit at atime.  Having a little trouble because I am still sick.  Please bear with me.  Nothing yet to report or ask at this time .  Will be back.

 

by: Donnie616Posted on 2009-11-06 at 07:01:44ID: 25759637

Three people have helped me on this question.  Combining their comments has almost gotten the job done for me.  Unfortunately, I was only able retrieve a small amount of my files.  The files I need seem to be in that XML format. The good news is that I can see them, but I cannot open them.  I am ready to go to work again.  Sickness has faded.  Any thoughts on this XML stuff?

 

by: Donnie616Posted on 2009-11-07 at 08:34:54ID: 31649170

I was able to retreive about half of my stuff.  Still working on it.  It is funny that some of  the files I am trying to get back are in fact, Recovery tools.  

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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