Deleted Photos

[jscher2000]

In the past, Norton offered very comprehensive unerase features which could scrub your entire hard drive to find scraps of deleted files. With multi-gigabyte hard drives, maybe that has become impractical, but I can't imagine they would drop this from the product. I don't have it to compare with, but can you dig around and find such a thing? What exact Norton product do you have (in case someone else can help)?

[KenK]

Here ia a link to one application that should do it. Note that the trial version will only recover files up to 32k.

A web search, Google or otherwise using "recover deleted files" should turn up several such sites. The product linked to above runs $50 USD, most others will be $80 USD and up.

I don't have any personal experience with file recovery but I'd suggest you do NOT use the computer on which the files were deleted (and don't turn it off) until you are ready with a recovery program. Download one using another computer and transfer the program. You want to minimize any chance of overwriting the files.

Have a Great day!!!
Ken

[banditis53]

I accidently deleted some pictures and they were sent to the recycle bin in Norton. I went a head without Knowing what I had done and emptied the recycle bin. I s there ANY Possible way to giet these phoots back. I went to the unerase wizard and could not find them. Please Help If you can. what a dummie! mI am Running Norton Utilities 2002 and Norton Anti Virus.

[banditis53]

thank you for your help too. I think I have lost them forever. My stupidity. I need to leave well enough alone. I have done enough damage to last for a long time for now.Bandit

[Tricky]

I sure wish I could help you salvage your photo files. I'm a case of "been there, done that." And I know how how it feels. But I do want to suggest that you install a program on your PC called "Replicator". It's a free program and it will automatically backup the directories that you set as often as you wish.

There are many good backup programs mentioned on the Lounge that are free or not free, but I think you'd be hard-pressed to find one that's as simple and effortless as this one. I use it to protect myself from doing just what you did.

I have mine set to to do a complete backup of the "My Documents" folder every other morning at 4am. Within the "My Documents" folder is my photo files, my music files, word files, spreadsheets, etc. I figure I can always get the software again, but data files have got to be backed up. I back mine up to a different hard drive, but this is not a must. You can backup to a different folder on the same drive if you have to (But this will not protect you from a disk failure). And if that hasn't happened to you yet, then the keyword is "yet".

Again, wish I could help - but perhaps this will keep it from happening again. <img src=/S/cheers.gif border=0 alt=cheers width=30 height=16>

[ilona53]

Any chance of doing a System Restore?...to a date prior to your mishap?
I don't know if that would even do anything at all, but it just came into my head as a suggestion...also, is your Recycle Bin Norton Protected...check the Symantec website Help if it is.
Other than that, I have no answers... sorry.

[Bruce K]

Hi, Bandi ~

It may be too late now, but for future reference, you might want to use PC Inspector File Recovery 3.0. It is free and not too tough to use.

The key to saving your deleted files is to already have a program like this installed. If you install it after you lost your data or do any work on your computer, you run the high risk of writing over data or portions thereof, thus making it unrecoverable.

As a result of my trigger finger, I keep 'File Recovery' and another tool which scrutinizes the data at the sector level, 'SectorSpy' installed on my units in the event of such follies.

[diegol]

Hi banditis,

In addition to Bruce's recommendation (which I'm downloading right now) you can try Drive Rescue, which has been recently discontinued but it appears the free download link will still work.
Sometimes it worked, sometimes it recovered the file but it wouldn't be read by any program. A kinda matter of luck.
Some more advice:
1- The sooner you try to recover the file, the higher your chances to get it back will be. Your system is continuously writing data to your HD (files you deliberately save; files you download when you navigate with IE; swap files Windows creates to handle virtual memory; etc), and each file that is thus created in your HD will erase old files you had deleted (which might happen to be, your pictures).
2- It might be too late or not depending on the amount of data you've written over the day and the free space you had available on your HD. If you have a drive other than the one where the pics where stored (even a remote LAN directory will do) try the following:
2.A- Download the app (Bruce's or Drive Rescue) to this remote drive so you won't risk overwriting the pics
2.B- IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER COMPUTER connected to this LAN, install the program using this different PC. Although you can choose to install on your former pc to a Network drive, some links and documentation will anyway be created in your Programs folder on your HD, endangering your data.
2.C- Try to run the program from your original PC, accessing the remote directory (where the program files were created after the installation). I remember doing this with Drive Rescue and it worked. I dunno about the other app.
2.D- If it doesn't work, you'll have to run the risk to install in your original PC. Of course, never install on the original drive; install to a Network drive or a spare drive on your PC instead if possible.
3- If you cannot recover the files, keep a (or both) program(s) installed so in the remote case you need them in the future you won't have to go thru the hassle of the installation again, and will be able to try to recover the files in a snap.
4- I'll second Tricky's advice, allmighty Replicator.

HTH

[diegol]

Wow... they look pretty... similar? Maybe Convar picked up where Alexander Grau (Drive Rescue's author) left off... they must have bought the Copyright or something... <img src=/S/scratch.gif border=0 alt=scratch width=25 height=29>

[Bruce K]

Hi, Diegol ~
I certainly can't chaulk that up to coincidence. <IMG SRC=http://www.krymow.com/images/so-what-do-u-think.gif>

[SMBP]

Banditis 53--In Norton Utilities 2002 you have the Protected Recycle Bin which has the Norton Unerase Wizard and it should be recoverable easily from there. That feature has been in Symantec/Norton Utilities since Norton Utilities 2000, and you don't have to have System Works which includes Utilities to have it.

How To Use Unerase Wizard Norton Utilities 2002in Win NT/2000/XP

How To Use Unerase Wizard Norton Utilities 2002: Win 98/ME

Norton Utilities 2001
Symantec Press Release June23, 1999: Norton Unerase Wizard

Check the Unerase Wizard--it could be indexed a little better and you may have to play with it's two modes of listing. There are many other apps that do this kind of thing, including Executive Software's Undelete, but you should be able to recover these with the Norton Unerase Wizard in Norton Utilities 2002.

SMBP

[bigaldoc]

<hr>...The key to saving your deleted files is to already have a program like this installed... <hr>

This is also a "for future reference" post. I bought a floppy disk based program a few years ago and it has saved my butt on a number of occasions. It's called Recover4All but unfortunately, it ain't cheap! The "regular" program is $49 and the Pro version is $69, which is required for XP and similar OSs. Just in case you're interested, be aware that even after you put it on floppy, it will ask for your serial number EVERY time you use it. I've taken it "on the road" to help someone on a few occasions.

[banditis53]

Thank you all for all of your help and kindness. I truly appreciated all of the helpful words and links . I tried to post earlier and it didn't work so I am trying it this way. I recently had a family tragedy and had forgotten that I had backed up eveything on put the disc up. I recovered all but 2 pictures. I again want to say thank you and I hope that I didn't inconvenience anyone. I have included one of the photos that I recovered and hope you enjoy it. A Great big thanks to you all