Lost picture files...HELP :(

[kpadalik]

The photography board was the only place that I thought this thread would fit in. I was burning some pictures to CD from the "My Pictures" folder on my computer. I moved Folder #1 to the CD burning drive and burned it successfully. (It did still remain on the "Files waiting to be burned" window.) Then I moved Folder #2 and Folder #3. Before burning these, I deleted Folder #1 out of the window, but #2 and #3 disappeared, NOT #1!!!! I have searched all over my computer and can't find these picture folders anywhere! Does anyone have any advice? Please help me!

 

[Frantasmic]

When you say "all" over, did you include looking in the recycle bin?

 

[PixieDust32]

Check your recycle bin and if you see them there just click on them and then click restore files.

 

[kpadalik]

Thanks but I already checked the recycle bin. I'm pretty computer savvy, but i don't know what else to try. It's like they disappeared into thin air

 

[Frantasmic]

Even if you did delete the folders, unless you wiped your hard drive, the data is still there. You will probably need to get some data recovery software from Best Buy or Office Depot.

 

[photo_chick]

Have you done a file search? They take forever but often find what we're looking for. And did you check your temp files?

Normally, at least in my experience, when you add a folder to the CD to burn it just puts a temporary copy there, not the original folder.

 

[NateNLogansDad]

I wouldn't use that computer for ANYTHING until you get those pictures back, you don't want to overwrite any pictures by accident. This software is free but the best way to use it is to
1. install it on another computer.

2. pull the hard drive out of the computer you are having problems with

3. attach problem hard drive to the other computer with the software on it (Either as a slave drive or USB adapter)

4. Tell software to search secondary hard drive.

Here's the link:

http://www.pcinspector.de/default.htm

I'm not saying you CAN'T run it on the computer with the lost files, but there is a VERY REAL possibility that you will overwrite the missing files.

 

[NateNLogansDad]

As the caffeine slowly drips into my brain another door opened up.

If you have a network of any kind at home (such as a router for multiple computers using the internet at the same time) you could share out the C: drive on computer #1 and install the software on computer #2.

You may have to "map the drive" on computer #2 to give #1 a drive letter but I'm pretty sure you shouldn't have to.

It was a long night last night, so if anything else pops in my head I'll post it after my 2nd cup of jo.

 

[hughtopia]

Two suggestions...
1. As someone posted above you can always search your hard drive for the files and see if they turn up. Usually when files go "missing" they've simply been moved somewhere by mistake. To search (on Windows XP) go to Start-->Search-->Files or Computers. Click "All files and folders" and in the file name box type *.jpg. The * tells the Search to find ANY file the has the .jpg file extension. You'll have to wade through a bunch of files that aren't what you're looking for but it will show you everything.

2. You can also go into the Windows "temporary" CD burning folder to see if the files are there. The location will look like the path below although you'll need to replace the <userid> with your actual login id.
C:\Documents and Settings\<userid>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\CD Burning

Good luck!

 

[seashoreCM]

A not unusual mistake is to:

Move folder 1 to the CD burning drive.
Burn (folder 1).
Move folder 2 to folder 1 in the CD burning drive.
Delete folder 1
Folder 2, as part of folder 1's contents, vanishes also.

Fortunately the aforementioned recovery tools should recover from the above scenario also, provided you stopped doing anything on that computer as mentioned above.

If you have an idea of the names (usually something sequential such as pict4043, pict4044, pict4045, etc.) of the files in folder 2 and in folder 3, you can search for selected names (like pict4043, pict4143, pict4243) and hopefully catch one or more pictures in a "lost" folder still around but in a different place than you thought you moved it to, and not have to wade through columns and columns of file names to figure out. Then look in the folder that the search process led you to.