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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: jonnycool on 31 May 2012, 19:04:29

Title: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: jonnycool on 31 May 2012, 19:04:29
My desktop computer did something strange the other day, and after this happened, it was as if it had reverted back to how it was straight out of the box - as a result, all the photos I had stored in 'My Pictures' have now disappeared - there were thousands from the past 6 or 7 years of holidays, the kids, events, etc etc. I'm just in a daze at the moment, I just can't believe I've lost them all. I know I should have backed them up, and I did this with a lot of the early ones of the kids but not with the rest.

Does anyone know if there's anything I can do, or have I lost them forever?  :'( :'(
Title: Re: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: Darth Loo-knee on 31 May 2012, 19:07:26
Captain Zok mentioned something to me when I deleted some pictures from my camera to enable me too get them back. Not sure if it works for computers but try PM ing him he can tell you better.
Good Luck.
Title: Re: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: TheBoy on 31 May 2012, 19:08:17
If it was a standard type factory restore, you're only way is going to be restore from your backup. You did take backups, didn't you ::)
Title: Re: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: Gaffers on 31 May 2012, 19:09:55
If no backups were made you could try an Un-deletion tool.  Plenty available for free on download.com  :y
Title: Re: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: Steve B on 31 May 2012, 19:10:14
thought you get choice ...full or partial backup
Title: Re: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: CaptainZok on 31 May 2012, 19:10:21
Recuva may be able to find them if they've not been overwritten.
Title: Re: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: jonnycool on 31 May 2012, 19:28:49
Recuva may be able to find them if they've not been overwritten.

How do I do that? Download from internet?
Title: Re: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: jonnycool on 31 May 2012, 19:30:23
If it was a standard type factory restore, you're only way is going to be restore from your backup. You did take backups, didn't you ::)
No, I just made a recovery disc  :-[
Title: Re: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: CaptainZok on 31 May 2012, 20:09:51
Recuva may be able to find them if they've not been overwritten.

How do I do that? Download from internet?
Google recuva install it and see what it finds.
Title: Re: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: tunnie on 01 June 2012, 08:50:33
Yes, hopefully a tool will recover it. Even though they are not shown, they are still there taking up space. Just been marked as space, hence its not showing.

That said, with a restore, I'm not sure if it actually does a full wipe and write the whole disc.  :-\

I too have pictures from the last decade, it was a worry for me if my flat got broken into/fire ect, so have all my pictures on one drive. Its then backed up to another, just in case that drive fails. I also keep another drive at my parents house and take new ones there each time, so if I get broken into here, got a full off site backup  :y

Maybe perhaps not what you want to hear now, but for the future  :y
Title: Re: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: jonnycool on 01 June 2012, 08:57:53
Thanks Tunnie, but it looks like they've gone, Recuva found nothing at all  :'(

So that's a harsh lesson learned, I'll never let that happen again. Thanks anyway for the advice chaps  :y
Title: Re: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: Martian on 01 June 2012, 09:44:27
Stop using the affected hard drive IMMEDIATELY.
Take it out, place it in a second PC as a slave and use Easy Recovery Pro in RAW mode.

Title: Re: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: jonnycool on 01 June 2012, 09:52:33
Stop using the affected hard drive IMMEDIATELY.
Take it out, place it in a second PC as a slave and use Easy Recovery Pro in RAW mode.

Now that may make sense to some of the people on here, but not me I'm afraid. I haven't got another PC for a start, and wouldn't know how to take the drive out and use it as a slave, let alone the rest  ;D

I appreciate that you're trying to help, and thanks very much for that, but it's wasted on me, I just don't know enough about computers to do this  :-[
Title: Re: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: 2woody on 01 June 2012, 09:58:21
I've used a second desktop to recover data before. Just take the hard-drive out of the forgetful one and install it as a second drive in the other computer. That way, none of the operating system is used and you're free to poke around the damaged hard-drive to your heart's content
Title: Re: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: PhilRich on 01 June 2012, 13:10:38
Have you tried restoring the computer to the last 'Restore' point before the problem occured Jon? As already said, do not use the drive until you're absolutely certain you've lost the stuff irretrievably as every time the machine is used it overwrites supposedly 'empty' sectors of the disk! I wish you the Best of Luck matey :y
Title: Re: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: TheBoy on 01 June 2012, 14:49:47
Have you tried restoring the computer to the last 'Restore' point before the problem occured Jon? As already said, do not use the drive until you're absolutely certain you've lost the stuff irretrievably as every time the machine is used it overwrites supposedly 'empty' sectors of the disk! I wish you the Best of Luck matey :y
Tis way too late for that ;)
Title: Re: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: jonnycool on 01 June 2012, 18:00:07
Thanks for that Phil, I tried recuva as Captain Zok helpfully suggested but as I said, it's as if the computer has reverted b :oack to how it came out of the box. All my photos, music and programs are all gone. I only have myself to blame, I did start to back up my photos onto CD  but only got some of the way through, and never got round to finishing it. I'm gutted beyond words about the photos, there were some absolutely priceless ones of the kids growing up, but its my own stupid fault, I certainly won't miss that opportunity again - definitely a lesson learned  :(
Title: Re: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: PhilRich on 01 June 2012, 19:49:12
Jon, what make is your PC?
Title: Re: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: jonnycool on 01 June 2012, 20:55:46
It's a Hewlett Packard (I think, I'm in work at the moment)
Title: Re: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: dbug on 01 June 2012, 21:34:16
Only chance mate is to stop using your pc immediately and remove hard drive.  If you're not pc literate take it to an expert who will remove hard drive and conect to a working pc and attempt to recover your files (pics).  Shame you're not local to me as I used to do this sort of recovery on a daily basis.
Title: Re: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: PhilRich on 01 June 2012, 21:50:12
Jon, I found this programme demo and tried it on my laptop & it found jpegs & other files I deleted after backing up onto dvd media months ago, so it could be well worth your while to try it? You will need to buy the programme to actually recover anything it finds, but at least you can see what it has found before parting with your hard earned. There are various versions depending on what your needs are but it appears to start at around $35usd (£22gbp) Here's hoping :-\ :y


http://www.active-undelete.com/
Title: Re: Can I get my photos back?
Post by: dbug on 01 June 2012, 22:42:18
Jon, I found this programme demo and tried it on my laptop & it found jpegs & other files I deleted after backing up onto dvd media months ago, so it could be well worth your while to try it? You will need to buy the programme to actually recover anything it finds, but at least you can see what it has found before parting with your hard earned. There are various versions depending on what your needs are but it appears to start at around $35usd (£22gbp) Here's hoping :-\ :y


http://www.active-undelete.com/

No good installing more software on the disk you need to recover data from - only overwrites data you are trying to recover!!  Remove your hard drive before doing anything else or accept your pics won't be recoverable!!