I seriously need computer help.

imockthepea · 08-20-2007, 09:32 PM

I'll make this as simple as possible because I really need help.Yesterday my dad decides he wants to clean up the family computer to make less time for virus scans. Unfortunately he RESET the computer, and now it is an unregistered computer with very few programs still installed on it (like iTunes and 02Jam). I need to know ASAP if it is still possible to recover all my information (about 12 gigs of music, school papers, and a few movies). It is back down to Windows XP service pack 1. It has a Pentium 4 processor with 1.25 gigahertz of processing and half a gig of ram, with a 120 gig hard disk. Please if anyone knows how to do this it would be very much appreciated.

**freakysnots** · 08-20-2007, 09:37 PM

You formatted the computer.

Unless you backed up all your information, there is no way to get it back.

silentwind2 · 08-20-2007, 09:37 PM

i dunno about everyone else or maybe i don't know a lot about computers, but im gonna say you're pretty much ****ed

imockthepea · 08-20-2007, 09:38 PM

...wonderful... excuse me while I go kill my nerd ego.

cooldude35 · 08-20-2007, 09:38 PM

hahaha u screwed big time

**freakysnots** · 08-20-2007, 09:43 PM

Imagine this.

You have an iPod filled with music. You leave it in your bathtub for a day underwater. You take it out and expect to find music.

Your computer is like this right now.

Chrissi · 08-20-2007, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by imockthepea

I'll make this as simple as possible because I really need help.Yesterday my dad decides he wants to clean up the family computer to make less time for virus scans. Unfortunately he RESET the computer, and now it is an unregistered computer with very few programs still installed on it (like iTunes and 02Jam). I need to know ASAP if it is still possible to recover all my information (about 12 gigs of music, school papers, and a few movies). It is back down to Windows XP service pack 1. It has a Pentium 4 processor with 1.25 gigahertz of processing and half a gig of ram, with a 120 gig hard disk. Please if anyone knows how to do this it would be very much appreciated.

If by "reset" you mean "formatted" then yeah, you're screwed.

imockthepea · 08-20-2007, 09:45 PM

Well the problem is I don't know the exact problem. All I know is that my computer seems to be back to factory default, which if I know my dad, he would never be able to find. Any programs that might be able to recover data that anyone knows of? It's worth a shot.

**freakysnots** · 08-20-2007, 09:47 PM

Can you describe what your dad did before the reset?

-Did he pop in a start up disk and type format c: /s?

-Did he drop it underwater?

-Did he keep on turning it off when running causing files to be corrupt?

-Did he delete everything and lied to you about the reset to prevent you from listening to music / playing games?

-Did he open the chassis and carved his name into the motherboard claiming it as his?

-Are you cursed?

imockthepea · 08-20-2007, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freakysnots

Can you describe what your dad did before the reset?

-Did he pop in a start up disk and type format c: /s?

-Did he drop it underwater?

-Did he keep on turning it off when running causing files to be corrupt?

-Did he delete everything and lied to you about the reset to prevent you from listening to music / playing games?

-Did he open the chassis and carved his name into the motherboard claiming it as his?

-Are you cursed?

Probably cursed seeing as earlier today, my work lost my paycheck. No not underwater and no he doesn't know how to do DOS. I looked again in the C drive and the weird thing is, all my games are there. It seems that he somehow got rid of everything on the desktop and the My Music/Pictures/ect. folders.

**freakysnots** · 08-20-2007, 09:58 PM

Ah I know. He deleted you as a user and deleted all the files in Documents and Settings and he knew he was screwed, so he made a new user with your name but all your files aren't there.

That is the most logical thing I can think of.

And if that happened, no you can not get your files back.

plasmix · 08-20-2007, 10:10 PM

Try GetDataBack. In the meantime try not to do anything with your HD.

Oh and o2jam is spelled with an o, not a zero.

edit: Here's a d/l link.
http://download.yousendit.com/BB5D46DF45C41016

imockthepea · 08-20-2007, 10:12 PM

No we only have one user name. Other than the only reason he would do that is to try to speed up a virus scan, which is bull**** because we always scan it at night and it normally takes about 4 hours at max.

agent000_77 · 08-20-2007, 10:14 PM

Try PC Inspector. I use sometimes from UBCD4WIN whenever a customer needs data recovered.
PC Inspector also has a Find Lost Data option, which may help in this situation.
DO NOT restore the files to the HDD you are recovering from, always copy to another partition or hard drive. If you use the same Partition your are recovering from you may go over other data you need to recover

Here's the link. If you need more help just ask.

It's my suggestion you get an extra hard drive for backup. I would probably suggest a removable one from Western Digital. Never had a problem with them.
Here a link to a well priced backup hard drive.

imockthepea · 08-20-2007, 10:19 PM

All sounds very good. I will go to a PC store in the morning to see if I can find a hard drive to back everything up onto and to do a full system recovery. Thank you again for helping me with this problem and I will post again to let anybody who cares know how it turned out.

KH Luxord · 08-21-2007, 12:12 AM

Sorry...if you didn't have a hard drive backup device, then your information went goodbye. Buy a Hammer (backup device) at the local Best Buy. They are sure to have one. Or maybe at Circuit City, or CompUSA. Also, make sure that your info is backed up before your computer is cleaned up.

agent000_77 · 08-21-2007, 12:19 AM

actually, it is still there...his dad more than likely used a windows xp disk to format the hard drive. Nothing major in overwriting. If he had used something like Eraser or DBAN then it would probably be gone. As long as he doesn't mess around with the computer (windows might overwrite his "Lost" files"), he should be able to recover a good percentage of his programs. If you would like to make it easier, imockthepea, just send it to the nearest computer repair store and explain your problem. It will cost more money but then you know you yourself aren't screwing anything up.(Screwing up happens with even the best intentions.)

BTY, did your dad put large disk access support on their. I hope so. Sounds like it anyway. Good luck!

08-20-2007, 09:32 PM	#1
imockthepea FFR Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: New York Age: 34 Posts: 235	I seriously need computer help. I'll make this as simple as possible because I really need help.Yesterday my dad decides he wants to clean up the family computer to make less time for virus scans. Unfortunately he RESET the computer, and now it is an unregistered computer with very few programs still installed on it (like iTunes and 02Jam). I need to know ASAP if it is still possible to recover all my information (about 12 gigs of music, school papers, and a few movies). It is back down to Windows XP service pack 1. It has a Pentium 4 processor with 1.25 gigahertz of processing and half a gig of ram, with a 120 gig hard disk. Please if anyone knows how to do this it would be very much appreciated. __________________ And the pea mocks me. AAA's to date- 2 Newest- Excite Bike

08-20-2007, 09:37 PM	#2
freakysnots 八一 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Xinjiang, PRC Age: 31 Posts: 2,904	Re: I seriously need computer help. You formatted the computer. Unless you backed up all your information, there is no way to get it back. __________________

08-20-2007, 09:38 PM	#4
imockthepea FFR Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: New York Age: 34 Posts: 235	Re: I seriously need computer help. ...wonderful... excuse me while I go kill my nerd ego. __________________ And the pea mocks me. AAA's to date- 2 Newest- Excite Bike

08-20-2007, 09:38 PM	#5
cooldude35 FFR Player Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: canada Age: 30 Posts: 130	Re: I seriously need computer help. hahaha u screwed big time

08-20-2007, 09:43 PM	#6
freakysnots 八一 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Xinjiang, PRC Age: 31 Posts: 2,904	Re: I seriously need computer help. Imagine this. You have an iPod filled with music. You leave it in your bathtub for a day underwater. You take it out and expect to find music. Your computer is like this right now. __________________

08-20-2007, 09:45 PM	#8
imockthepea FFR Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: New York Age: 34 Posts: 235	Re: I seriously need computer help. Well the problem is I don't know the exact problem. All I know is that my computer seems to be back to factory default, which if I know my dad, he would never be able to find. Any programs that might be able to recover data that anyone knows of? It's worth a shot. __________________ And the pea mocks me. AAA's to date- 2 Newest- Excite Bike

08-20-2007, 09:47 PM	#9
freakysnots 八一 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Xinjiang, PRC Age: 31 Posts: 2,904	Re: I seriously need computer help. Can you describe what your dad did before the reset? -Did he pop in a start up disk and type format c: /s? -Did he drop it underwater? -Did he keep on turning it off when running causing files to be corrupt? -Did he delete everything and lied to you about the reset to prevent you from listening to music / playing games? -Did he open the chassis and carved his name into the motherboard claiming it as his? -Are you cursed? __________________ Last edited by freakysnots; 08-20-2007 at 09:53 PM..

08-20-2007, 09:58 PM	#11
freakysnots 八一 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Xinjiang, PRC Age: 31 Posts: 2,904	Re: I seriously need computer help. Ah I know. He deleted you as a user and deleted all the files in Documents and Settings and he knew he was screwed, so he made a new user with your name but all your files aren't there. That is the most logical thing I can think of. And if that happened, no you can not get your files back. __________________

08-20-2007, 10:10 PM	#12
plasmix FFR Player Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: TX Posts: 3,639	Re: I seriously need computer help. Try GetDataBack. In the meantime try not to do anything with your HD. Oh and o2jam is spelled with an o, not a zero. edit: Here's a d/l link. http://download.yousendit.com/BB5D46DF45C41016 Last edited by plasmix; 08-20-2007 at 10:18 PM..

08-20-2007, 10:12 PM	#13
imockthepea FFR Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: New York Age: 34 Posts: 235	Re: I seriously need computer help. No we only have one user name. Other than the only reason he would do that is to try to speed up a virus scan, which is bull**** because we always scan it at night and it normally takes about 4 hours at max. __________________ And the pea mocks me. AAA's to date- 2 Newest- Excite Bike

08-20-2007, 10:14 PM	#14
agent000_77 FFR Player Join Date: Aug 2007 Age: 32 Posts: 25	Re: I seriously need computer help. Try PC Inspector. I use sometimes from UBCD4WIN whenever a customer needs data recovered. PC Inspector also has a Find Lost Data option, which may help in this situation. DO NOT restore the files to the HDD you are recovering from, always copy to another partition or hard drive. If you use the same Partition your are recovering from you may go over other data you need to recover Here's the link. If you need more help just ask. It's my suggestion you get an extra hard drive for backup. I would probably suggest a removable one from Western Digital. Never had a problem with them. Here a link to a well priced backup hard drive.

08-20-2007, 10:19 PM	#15
imockthepea FFR Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: New York Age: 34 Posts: 235	Re: I seriously need computer help. All sounds very good. I will go to a PC store in the morning to see if I can find a hard drive to back everything up onto and to do a full system recovery. Thank you again for helping me with this problem and I will post again to let anybody who cares know how it turned out. __________________ And the pea mocks me. AAA's to date- 2 Newest- Excite Bike

08-21-2007, 12:19 AM	#17
agent000_77 FFR Player Join Date: Aug 2007 Age: 32 Posts: 25	Re: I seriously need computer help. actually, it is still there...his dad more than likely used a windows xp disk to format the hard drive. Nothing major in overwriting. If he had used something like Eraser or DBAN then it would probably be gone. As long as he doesn't mess around with the computer (windows might overwrite his "Lost" files"), he should be able to recover a good percentage of his programs. If you would like to make it easier, imockthepea, just send it to the nearest computer repair store and explain your problem. It will cost more money but then you know you yourself aren't screwing anything up.(Screwing up happens with even the best intentions.) BTY, did your dad put large disk access support on their. I hope so. Sounds like it anyway. Good luck!

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