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Help please. scan results disappeared.


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Hi. I've used recuva in the past with excellent results. Last week I started a scan to bring back my entire c drive which was formatted by negligence(not mine!). Every day for a week i would be able to spend 2-5 hours going down the list, pecking the green dotted files which i would like to have back.

I get home from work today and the list is gone. I wasn't even at the halfway point after all this time and now I have nothing to show for all the time spent.

Can the list be brought back at the point I left it? If so, how??

If not, what can I do to avoid this happening again if i give it another shot?

I am numb. Is there a time limit for recuva?

Please, any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Mitchell

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Whats the point of recovering the red ones?

It saves you the frustration of individually selecting half a million green files and then finding the list has disappeared just before you saved.

 

I think you can click on the column headers to sort the list so that all the Green Files are in one contiguous block,

and then you can select all the Green files with just a few keyboard clicks.

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Ok, I scanned and tried to save it to my external drive but get the 'maximum path length exceeded' error.

No option to choose or group only the green ones. I can get it to alphabetical or by date but nothing to organize it all into a large grouping.

And then it still doesn't guarantee that the whole thing won't disappear again before I am done.

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206k isn't too bad. Recover them to a folder with the shortest path possible, i.e. e:\x or some other single letter to reduce the max path issues. Use restore folder structure to make the subsequent sort easier. You've grouped the green files and recovering only those, yes? And there's 206k of those?

 

As there was a format done, have you selected scan for non-deleted files? Are you running a normal or deep scan?

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Hi. Thanks for responding. I'm feeling pretty down about this although I have noticed that most of my lost music, pics and movies are in the green...there is hope!

So, instead of sending them to a folder in my external drive entitled 'recuva june 15 2013', I should just label that folder a single letter? Is the \ necessary?

Yes, recovering only the greens. Not sure, I guess there are 206k total.

I have not selected scan for non-deleted files. When should I do this...after the first scan(I did use the deep scan) or should I go back and rerun the scan also looking for the non-deleted files?

I am very happy that you are taking the time to help me.

Mitchell

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I assume that you would really want to recover your old live files, before the drive was formatted. When the disk was formatted it was left as an almost empty disk with just a few system files. No operating system, no data.

 

A deep scan will return data from every cluster on the disk that appears to represent a file, so will return a huge amount of files, some you want, most you don't.

 

The format overwrote the start of the Master File Table with a new very small MFT. If you run a normal scan with Scan for Non-deleted Files checked, then Recuva will attempt to read the MFT past the overwritten area, and find the old 'live' files. It will also find some deleted files too, but not as many as the deep scan.

 

Recover those to a separate drive as described in my previous post. The \ is a part of the folder's path, the folder is just X or whatever.

 

If all goes well (it will certainly be more manageable) then you will have some system files and some deleted files, but with a bit of luck most of your live files.

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1) I disagree with Alan about check off the red (or even yellow)

2) I don't understand what you mean by

I never got as far as saving

as you said you'd been slowly recovering files so I assume you think there's some sort of "save scanned list" feature in recuva. There is not, such a feature would be nigh useless as the data list is volatile (which brings me to

3) is the drive in question being used as a system disc currently (does it have running windows on it, or is it a secondary drive) as well is defragmenting for the drive turned off. Have you since the format (or recuva run) Used the drive for anything.

 

I assume by disappeared you mean over the days you been leaving the computer on (no hibernation, sleeping, turning off) with recuva running and its list showing. Did the same interloper who formatted the disc do something to recuva while you were away?

 

ADVICE FOR USING CCleaner'S REGISTRY INTEGRITY SECTION

DON'T JUST CLEAN EVERYTHING THAT'S CHECKED OFF.

Do your Registry Cleaning in small bits (at the very least Check-mark by Check-mark)

ALWAYS BACKUP THE ENTRY, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'LL BREAK IF YOU DON'T.

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HI. During the first attempt I got about halfway over a 5 or 6 day period. When I came home for work one night I sat down and the recuva screen was just gone. I went back to the site but I couldn't just ' pick up from where I had left off'. So I started another one. Now I have separated to where the greens are at the top and I am going through them checking what I hope to recover and also hoping that the screen just won't vanish on me again. Maybe there was a blackout while I was at work or something.

I don't know if I save/recover (sending the data to my external drive) if I could find the same point I left off at. I doubt it. As you say, it's volatile. I figure that if I try just recovering a bit at a time it would work better.

Yes, the drive is operating windows xp professional. I use xp home normally but the shop put in pro for no reason. I wouldn't dare defrag it!

I do use the drive to go online daily, but I never kill the recuva screen. Just minimize it while I'm on line. I have not saved anything at this time nor have I loaded back any of my programs or games etc.

Interloper...you're kind using that! I have other words for him. No, I have the pc at home now and am doing this all myself. He is totally out of the picture. In a nutshell, I took my pc in because I had a virus that was too wicked to get rid of by means I could use. I brought it to a local shop which had treated my right in the past. But the two owners were out and the mook working for them wrote on the work order FORMAT instead of REMOVE VIRUS so it was formatted. I then brought in my external drive and he fried it using the wrong power cord. Yes,,,,,,,I know

The shop's owners have admitted fault, gone many miles at their expense. They bought me a new external and will pay Seagate for sending the old one in, and have tried their own software but still can't get my data back. So, I try Recuva.

And yes, I am only going for the greenies.

By saving I meant sending recovered files to my new external drive. ie, clicking the recover button after checking what I hope to get back.

Thanks

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1) I disagree with Alan about check off the red (or even yellow)

Actually in post #4 I said the opposite, to select the green.

I first suggested In post #2 that ALL files be recovered to avoid the frustration of spend hours on reselecting everything desired into a list that again evaporates into thin air before it can be used.

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But the two owners were out and the mook working for them wrote on the work order FORMAT instead of REMOVE VIRUS so it was formatted.

Sorry - your world may be worse than you realise.

 

According to Murphy's Law any Data Recovery procedure that has a chance of recovering one of your media files is almost certain to also recover any virus that went "underground" with the format.

 

Long story short :-

If your photos were infected before the format, they will be infected after recovery ;

Anything you recover may be an instant source of cross infection.

 

The forum policy is to refer you to malware sites listed at :-

http://forum.pirifor...showtopic=34786

In your particular case they may be unable to help until you have recovered your files since they probably cannot detected deleted malware. :o

I suggest you await a moderator's opinion before taking further action.

 

In the mean time it might help if you confirm / correct / clarify the following points :-

1. You are currently using as C:\ with XP Pro the same HDD that was running XP Home as C:\ when malware struck,

which your local store then formatted and install XP Pro.

 

2. Your current focus has been to recover your files which are deleted from C:\

 

3. You also had an external drive which was destroyed by the local shop.

Was that previously used to archive copies of the files you wish to recover ?

Is this the purpose behind sending the disk to Seagate ?

(NB The system drive may be the first target of malware, but it could also migrate to external drives.)

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The plot well, thickens. It was your system drive, and has not 'just' been formatted, but XP Pro loaded. And you use it every day? I think that Schrodinger's cat is looking rather poorly.

 

My suggestion of scanning for non-deleted files is either no longer relevant, or will have far less value. I should forget it. To add to your misery XP will be quite happily running a prefetch defrag, which won't help. All you can do now, in my opinion, is to run the deep scan, sort and select all the greenies, check Restore Folder Structure, and recover the lot in one fell swoop to a single-letter folder on your new drive.

 

I don't know why the file list disappeared, but it is held in memory so I wouldn't leave it hanging around for too long.

 

Alan, it's very kind of you to say so, but the mods' skills are no more or less than yours, we have our opinions as do all contributors. (But you'll appreciate the cat.)

 

Oh yes, after recovery do a full virus scan on the recovery folder. Perhaps a good A/V won't let infected files be copied anyway.

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I am almost done with the checking of boxes. I would like to know if there is something I must do before i click the recover button.

Alan B 1. yes 2 yes 3 yes and yes

Augeas, can I check Restore Folder Structure just before I click recover? You all have me worried now that while I sleep tonight the xp will run a defrag and disappear all my work......

 

And yes, I plan to send it to my external drive (3TB) and then format my pc again myself and then install windows xp home from my disc I purchased from MS last year. Then, I can install an AV(I get a free version of Norton from my internet provider, comcast) or another if one is better recommended here. The fried ext drive is on it's way to Seagate and we'll see what they come up with. Other than that, I will give up on recovering on this drive any further. I have neither the time nor patience to continue banging my head on the wall. I do have my second disc from the pc which was also formatted by the mook which holds about 220gbs of my music. Most of it came back but many files are corrupted. Too many to go through one by one so I plan to use recuva on it and check the look for music box in the search.

 

Also,what about files repeated more than once, will the recovery put files of the same name into the folder or will I get a yes to all prompt?

 

What I don't understand is why naming the destination folder only one letter makes such a big difference. To me, sending 150,000= files would be the problem. But hey, I'm no expert. Just a victim.

Again, I appreciate all of your inputs.

Mitchell

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What I don't understand is why naming the destination folder only one letter makes such a big difference. To me, sending 150,000= files would be the problem. But hey, I'm no expert. Just a victim.

Again, I appreciate all of your inputs.

Mitchell

Have a look at post #8 in

http://forum.pirifor...showtopic=38776

 

The maximum length for an entire file path plus name is something like 260 characters and is a Windows limit that applies to the creation of any Windows file,

regardless of whether the file is created by Recuva or by anything else, including the copying of files from a camera or the internet.

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Ok Ok Ok, I just finished, checked all the greens I could, checked the restore folder box, then clicked recover and got the 'maximum path length exceeded. I give up. I guess this just won't work.

Is there a way to save what I have checked to try transferring it piecemeal, or am I SOL?

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How about clicking on the "Path" header to sort the results into path order.

Then adjust the width of the Path column to see the entire name of the paths.

 

There is a good chance that if you refrain from selecting anything with a long path name you may be lucky,

and you can restore without hitting th path length error.

 

Otherwise wait for Piriform to enhance Recuva so it skips the impossible and does what it can.

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usually maximum path files are due to system restore and other system files (Microsoft doesn't follow their own path length rules)

 

Otherwise wait for Piriform to enhance Recuva so it skips the impossible and does what it can.

Alan this is a recovery situation on a live computer, this "advice" may be the worst ,most irresponsible thing you've ever typed on this site.

 

 

I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Go through the results, take the time to do it. Recover only what you need (your documents, pictures, music, movies and maybe AppData folder) NOTHING ELSE MATTERS. recovery will be more successful & faster and you'll have less to go through.

 

If it's not yet said THE MORE YOU USE THIS MACHINE THE LESS LIKELY THE SUCCESS OF RECOVERED FILES

Edited by Nergal
path length is not defined by MS but by basic laws of computers

 

ADVICE FOR USING CCleaner'S REGISTRY INTEGRITY SECTION

DON'T JUST CLEAN EVERYTHING THAT'S CHECKED OFF.

Do your Registry Cleaning in small bits (at the very least Check-mark by Check-mark)

ALWAYS BACKUP THE ENTRY, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'LL BREAK IF YOU DON'T.

Support at https://support.ccleaner.com/s/?language=en_US

Pro users file a PRIORITY SUPPORT via email support@ccleaner.com

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Please note I made multiple edits in my previous post make sure you read them all.

to whom was you query directed? (sorting by path is the best method of quickly finding the files you want and bulk grabbing files (if you sort by path you can grab all your user folders (documents and settings folder) in one fell swoop.

 

ADVICE FOR USING CCleaner'S REGISTRY INTEGRITY SECTION

DON'T JUST CLEAN EVERYTHING THAT'S CHECKED OFF.

Do your Registry Cleaning in small bits (at the very least Check-mark by Check-mark)

ALWAYS BACKUP THE ENTRY, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'LL BREAK IF YOU DON'T.

Support at https://support.ccleaner.com/s/?language=en_US

Pro users file a PRIORITY SUPPORT via email support@ccleaner.com

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Nergal, I agree but many of those files probably have a path longer than what recuva needs. I have just spent 3-4 days again sorting and checking. I am beyond frustration and patience. I only went for music, movies, books and photos/videos. Never occured to me to get appData files.

Am I wrong to assume that even though I am using this machine, that if a file has a green next to it and says excellent that it is recoverable?

Can I group all the green files that I have selected into one group and then go through them?

I would really like to get something back.

 

Also, I just did a check of some path names and the longest look to be about 65-70 characters. So, if there is one path too long it will cancel the whole operation? Is there a setting to ignore paths too long? That seems to be a good idea, no?

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Alan this is a recovery situation on a live computer, this "advice" may be the worst ,most irresponsible thing you've ever typed on this site.

I never said it was a good option :)

 

I suggest that In practise it might not cause much loss in this situation, based upon these assumptions :-

 

The external drive of 3 TB suggests there may be more than 1 TB of user data to recover from a system drive that may exceed 1 TB in capacity ;

XP Home occupied less than 6 GB out of a 12 GB partition C:\ on my Laptop, and was on the fast end of the HDD,

Defraggler shows me that after at least one year without defragging there is less than 1 GB that is in the last 6 GB of C:\

which suggests that had C:\ been 1 TB of then only 0.1% of the deleted (formatted) user data space would have been over-written by the normal re-writing of Windows files.

 

I do however agree that the less it is used the better.

 

It would be good to install Windows on a different HDD,

and only connect the existing HDD as a secondary HDD (or external HDD) for reading/recovery.

 

An equivalent effect via software instead of hardware, is to create a FORENSIC image backup of partition C:\,

but this would involve a very steep learning curve to get it right.

 

N.B.

Yes, I did appreciate Schroedinger's cat.

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Whats the point of "It would be good to install Windows on a different HDD,

and only connect the existing HDD as a secondary HDD (or external HDD) for reading/recovery." if I can't recover the data?

Your suggestions do nothing to help in my current situation, ie. waiting and trying to figure out how to get this software to recover the checked data right now before the whole page disappears again.

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