DESPERATELY Need Some Computer Help!!!!! *****UPDATE****

[akasleepingbeauty]

My usually-very-computer-competent dh was trying to revive one of our computers when he accidentally deleted a drive containing the VAST MAJORITY of our picture files from the last few years (which includes the time period since our dd and ds were both born). It was just one of those HORRIBLE mistakes that sometimes we all make and he is just devastated!!!!!!!!!!!

We do have some on cd and on other locations but our main backup source was recently taken down so we will have lost MANY MANY pictures.

DH has done some looking on the internet for companies and/or software that can retrieve deleted files but has either found extremely high prices (over $1k) or has been concerned the product may make things worse

So, what I am asking for is if anyone knows of any good/reliable company or software that can resurrect these files? We would be willing to pay a decent sum (although $1,000 is a very steep for us) if we know it will work. Or, if you have any personal knowledge and/or expertise in this area you advice would be MUCHLY appreciated!!!

Thanks for ANY HELP anyone can give!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

See update below!

 

[browneyes]

I'm not sure, but can you do a system restore to bring back the pics?

 

[reldridge]

I am not all that computer savy, but would a "restore" point help?
That's the only thing that comes to mind>

 

[reldridge]

What is the old saying about "like minds"?

 

[janette]

I don't have any advice but wanted to say hello

I believe as long as they are deleted and not formated they are recoverable. I wish you the best of luck getting them back that would be a very sad loss and one of my fears of digital pictures.

edited to add.
Restore usually works only for program files, not data.

 

[vacationwoman]

www.ontrack.com

Their prices are different for differt problems but they will give you a free quote.

 

[browneyes]

LOL, Reldridge, if both of us thought of it at about the same time, maybe that means the restore will work.

 

[katerkat]

I juust had a similar problem - Gateway Tech recommended a 'solution' that erased my drive. I took it to a restore company - actually, just a guy who does it - and he charged me $75 and spent about 4 days recovering my stuff. Got every last thing, too. Get it to a restore company as fast as you can! Scott said the program he used (and loaded onto my computer) cost more than $1000. He left it on my computer for free.

 

[reldridge]

Can't hurt!!

 

[janette]

In these situations the less you do the better. Any program run or other activity on the computer runs a risk of making the files harder to recover. Better to get an expert.

 

[katerkat]

Adding: Gateway told me most restore companies are in California and recommended I get a computer tech magazine and check the listings in the back for a company to send my CPU to.
I lucked out beyond belief to have someone like Scott in rural Mississippi. I would call a couple local companies, and if not, try a magazine.

What Scott told me is that when you tell a drive to "erase" - it actual deletes a file allocation table, which lists WHERE everything is. So it doesn't delete the files, it just says the location where the file IS is actually empty and can be filled. So DON'T save anything else on that drive right now - get it restored first so the file allocation table can't set anything else on top of your stuff.

 

[Gail T AGAIN]

Originally posted by browneyes
I'm not sure, but can you do a system restore to bring back the pics?

Shannon, when I do a system restore it brings the whole computer back to when I bought it and everything else is lost if it was saved. How do I know this, I just had to do this a few weeks ago and everything I saved was wiped out other then the stuff I put on a CD

 

[emmagata]

Maybe a dumb question but did you check the recycle bin?


What operating system are you using?

A system restore (Windows ME and XP only) that was manually done after the last picture was put on the computer but before the files were deleted will restore them.

At the very least, stop using the computer. Even though the files don't appear in the explorer they are probably still there. Most of them. The recycle bin is not a bottomless pit. The oldest files are replaced by newly deleted files when the recycle bin gets full.

 

[Maleficent2]

yes on any system except XP and ME that is true a restore will erase all of your hard drive.

Mal

 

[akasleepingbeauty]

First, thank you all very very much for your help and input.

The good news is we have recovered almost all of the pictures lost - only a very small percentage were lost/corrupted. We used the software suggested by vacationwoman (www.ontrack.com) - dh had already started looking into it before I posted here and after her recommendation along with some advice via computer tech boards he went ahead with a trial of the software. The trial showed that the software could read and find the files so we decided to bite the bullet and purchase the software even though it cost $200. Given that we recovered seveal thousand pictures it was definitely worth it but certainly money we would rather have not had to spend.

We are SOOOOOOO relieved to have the pictures back and dh has already begun saving them to cd to ensure this cannot happen again. At least he will have learned a valuable lesson, albeit at both an emotional and financial cost.

For those who offered other soutions - thanks for the suggestions and I only wish we could have used them. Unfortunately it was far beyond the recycle bin or restore functions so our only choice was a recovery process and certainly the software was cheaper and quicker than any of the quotes we received from professional recovery companies (one quote was for $2700!!!!!!). Thankfully it all worked out and we only lost a few pictures (none of which were super important like birth pictures or Christmas etc.).

Thanks again to all my DIS friends for your caring suggestions - I knew I could count on you all in my desperate situation!!!

 

[jfulcer]

I'm not surprised Ontrack has software that helps with data recovery. I remember their disk tools a long long time ago when drives were really pretty tiny.

I'm glad you got your pictures back!

 

[Maleficent2]

Mal

 

[Lanshark]

I am so glad you got everything back but remember that a disk can get fried for a variety of reasons at any time. Make sure you backup anything you couldn't replace. It's a good reminder to everyone.

 

[katerkat]

I'm glad you got (almost) everything back! It's such a good feeling...

I know what you mean about the cost - I spent $75 recovering several hundred pictures and files - it was worth EVERY PENNY. (Of course, since it was Gateway's fault, I'm trying to get them to pay for it...)