Friend updated computer lost all info now win7

fresh install means the drive probably was formatted with a quick format. this would mean most data is still there as long as it has not been overwritten yet. meaning the more you store data or even use the computer, the more you overwrite your precious files.

i would start by turning off the computer and ask him what he did exactly.

assuming my above assumption is correct, and you did not write dozens of films or whatever would significantly fill the drive since then, a bunch of basic file recovery or undelete software should be able to recover the bulk of the data.

take a while to confirm what happened. i am pretty sure a number of such software names will come soon in this thread. i have not needed to use such softs in over a decade so i would not dare recommend one specifically.

Hi Juanita,
Did your friend do a backup of the data to an external drive (or the cloud) before doing the W7 update? Regards, Joe

No back ups does not know computers. He says that the computer said and update was ready he clicked yes when the computer came on it was no longer a win 10 but 7 key board and mouse did not work.
I did a system restore and it still booted as if fresh win 7.

Thanks!
 

when the computer came on it was no longer a win 10 but 7

Are you saying that it was W10 before he did the update?

Unbelievable that a single click of Yes lead a windows 10 to Windows 7!
Might have inserted a CD or run an automatic installer application?!

ask him in detail what he did
and it sounds to me like he inserted a windows 7 install cd/usb and ran it.
for recovery, you can try Get data back ( install it on another pc, and connect this drive to it as 2nd drive)
it will show you what can be recovered.
GDB is not free - but you only pay for storing the data

yes and the good news is that you can install a fresh OS, with the media creation tool ( free) :  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
you'll need to update all printers, so what syetm or mobo model is this?

btw - i should not let that "friend" touch my system again

I wonder if he somehow triggered / ran a factory reset

btw - i should not let that "friend" touch my system again

You may even want to consider dropping this friend a few tiers down on your "Christmas Card List" :\

Ha ha I was not saying I believed it. :)
Someone asked me what he said happened so I told you I was hoping it might be a clue.
 I cannot imagine he put a disk in.
It was win10 but I think maybe it was originally 7 and I think he somehow factory reset it.
This was not my system. It is his old Dell he only wants the quicken files so I am trying to help him with that.
I am not planning on recovering OS just files.
Thank you all so much I will try this afternoon. and let you know.
:)
123nitab

factory reset is likely. should that be the case, the reset usually ghosts the whole disk or a partition. unless there is a separate data partition, you're probably out of luck, then. let's hope i'm wrong ;)

it is always a guessing game if people don't know whaty they did