Another Computer Issue

[nofishfisherman]

YOu all did so well helping the last poor guy with computer trouble so I was hoping someone could help me out as well.

I use windows XP on my computer and eash user of the computer has their own profile you log into when starting. My problem is last night when I clicked on my user icon my profile setting were not saved from the last time I was on the computer and everything we reset to factory condition with the exception of some software that I had installed.

MY main issue is that when it reset itself all of my documents were lost. I do alot of graphic design work and I lost alot of designs. Most were backed up on CD's but my latest project which was a book of old family photos that I was doing for my family hadn't been saved to a CD yet so I fear it is lost.

Does anyone know what may have happened or know a way to recover these lost documents? I have a Sony Viao and have email the sony help guys but am waiting to hear back from them.

Any thoughts???

[sawtooth2]

Try browsing to c:\documents and settings\your_username\My Documents and see if you recognize any of your missing files. Or if you remember the name of one of your missing files do a search for that file (Start - Search - All Files and Folders). It's not likely that your programs are still there, but your data files got selectively removed. It's possible your user profile got hosed and so you got set up with a new one. In that case you would be directed to a new "My Documents" which would be empty.

[upnorth]

El Pescador is leading down the right path. Very rarely will Windows delete any data files that were created. Most likely you wound up reverting back to previous restore point. But if what was in the previous post is a bit confusing start out by right clicking the start button, selecting explore, that will open windows explorer to your current profile under c:\Documents and settings. Try finding your old profile and look in my documents and see what you find. Or if you do a search as posted try to search for something like *.jpg or whatever extension your files are saved under.

If you don't understand, just post what is confusing and we can sort things out.

[nofishfisherman]

Thanks guys. After I posted the thread I spent the next hour or two searching around my computer. I knew that if the programs where still there then the documents should be as well.

What you guys said was spot on, thats where I found them it just took some time digging around for everything. I still can't find the icon for photoshop but I opened a photoshop file and photoshop opened up with that.

So all is well again. The thought of spending another 10-15 hours scanning photos wasn't sounding to appealing this morning.

I think all further computer questions are being religated to you guys. You have a much faster turn around time then the Sony Tech Support, I am still waiting on them to respond.

Thanks again.

[upnorth]

Try doing a search for Photo* and it should find that application file. You can try double clicking on the results and to find the one that fires up Photoshop. Once you do, right click on the file and it should bring up a small menu, go to "send to" and select desktop and it will create a new short cut for you.

[Surface Tension]

Aaron, backup your files onto a partition or at least burn them onto a CD.

[upnorth]

ST is right, I lost a hard drive a while back and fortunately I had copied my important hard to replace data/picture/etc files to a CD or two. Also be sure to back up your address books for email and whatever else you deem important. Computers are not infallible and they do fail from time to time.

[nofishfisherman]

I would say 90% of what is saved on my computer is not very important. Just alot of random Graphic Design stuff I have been playig with. If anything is for a client or is a bigger project it gets either put on a zip disk or a CD right away.

Of course the one time I put off backing something up is the one time I have an issue.

I instantly went back and burned a backup copy of all my wifes Graduate School work because I wasn't sure if she had done it yet. She would have flipped out if she would have lost her Masters Thesis which is due in May and is several chapters long so far. Apparently she was ahead of me on that though.

Just goes to show never take computers for granted and never turn your back on them.

[Surface Tension]

Computers can be your best friend one day and your worst enemy the next. Don't trust them.