It is possible to recover my files?

I re-installed windows from a WIndows XP Home cd from a freind because i was having troubles with my system and it was pre-manufactured with Xp and i did not have a cd to fix the problem myself. when all was said and done, My files were all gone (media, + pictures) , however I had another profile beside mine on my previouse version of Windowsxp, and all teh files from that profile are still ok.however My profile (administrater btw) is gone and i cannot find it or any of my documents. My c drive still reads the space it usually took up before my files dissapear, so apparently my files are still somewher around there. Is it possible to recover my files myself? or at all? or would i have to dish out the money for a professional?

Thank you very much in advance and thank you for previouse help in the past.

This question was answered on March 7, 2005. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

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Understanding System Restore

System Restore performs the following tasks:

Restores your computer to a previous state

System Restore automatically tracks changes to your computer at all times and at specific intervals by creating restore points before changes occur Restore points are stored states of your computer.

You can also manually create restore points to record your computer state and settings before you make changes to your computer This allows you to restore the computer to a previous state, by choosing a restore point on a date or time prior to when you made the change

For example, if you accidentally delete monitored program files (such as files that have the .exe or .dll file name extensions), or monitored program files become corrupted, you can restore your computer to a state that existed before those changes occurred

By default, System Restore monitors and restores all partitions and drives on your computer It also monitors all installations of applications or drivers that users perform through delivery mechanisms such as CD-ROM, floppy disk, Systems Management Server (SMS), or IntelliMirror.

In some rare instances, during the restoration process System Restore restores a folder that has the same name as an existing folder To avoid writing over the existing file, System Restore renames the folder by adding a numeric suffix to the name

Restores your computer without losing your personal files

System Restore does not cause you to lose your personal files or password Items like documents, e-mail messages, browsing history, and the last specified password are saved when you revert to an earlier state with System Restore

System Restore protects your personal files by not restoring any files in the My Documents folder It also does not restore any files that use common data file name extensions, such as .doc or .xls If you're not sure whether your personal files use common data file name extensions, and you do not want the data files to be affected by System Restore, save them in the My Documents folder

If a program was installed after the restore point that you are restoring to was created, the program might be uninstalled as part of the restoration process Data files that are created with the program are not lost However, in order to open the files again, you must reinstall the associated program

Stores one to three weeks of past restore points

The actual number of saved restore points depends on how much activity there has been on your computer, the size of your hard disk (or the partition that contains your Windows XP Professional folder), and how much disk space has been allocated on your computer to store System Restore information See To change System Restore settings

Locates dates associated with restore points

When you run System Restore, a calendar is displayed to help you find dates associated with restore points If you don't use your computer every day, some days might not have any restore points If you use your computer frequently, you might have restore points almost every day, and some days might have several restore points

Ensures that all restorations are reversible

If you do not like the state of your computer after your restore it, you can undo the restoration or select another restore point All successful restorations are reversible All failed restorations are automatically reversed by System Restore

Provides several types of restore points

The list below describes each type of restore point and how System Restore works with each type

Initial System checkpoints

This restore point is created the first time you start your computer after you upgrade it to Windows XP Professional or when you first start a new computer Selecting this restore point reverts Windows XP Professional and programs to the state they were in at that time All files with data file name extensions (such as .doc, .htm, .xls, etc.) and all files in the My Documents folder are not restored

If System Restore must remove all old restore points to make room for new changes, a new restore point is created and restore points creation resumes from that time

System checkpoints

System Restore creates restore points on a regular basis even if you have not made any changes to the system System Restore automatically creates these restore points:

• every 24 hours of calendar time

or

• every 24 hours your computer is turned on

If your computer is turned off for more than 24 hours, System Restore creates a restore point the next time you start the computer The computer must be idle for a few minutes before System Restore creates a scheduled restore point

Selecting a scheduled restore point restores Windows XP Professional and programs to the state they were in at that time Any files with data file name extensions (such as .doc, .htm, .xls, etc.) and all files in the My Documents folder are not restored

Program name installation restore points

When you install a program by using the latest installers such as InstallShield and Windows XP Professional Installer, System Restore creates a restore point Use these restore points to track changes made to your system or to restore your computer to the state it was in before you installed the program

Selecting this restore point removes installed files and registry settings, and restores programs and system files that were altered by the installation Any files with data file name extensions (such as .doc, .htm, .xls, etc.) and all files in the My Documents folder are not restored

To revert the changes made by a program that does not use one of the specified installers, select the most recent restore point before the program was installed

Windows XP Professional automatic update restore points

If you use Windows XP Professional automatic updates to receive downloaded updates, System Restore creates a restore point before installing the updating software If items are downloaded, but not installed, a restore point is not created A restore point is created only when the components start to install Use these points to track changes you made to your system or if these updates might conflict with other products on your computer

Manually created restore points

You can manually create your own restore points in the System Restore Wizard When a created restore point is listed in the Select a restore point screen, it includes the name you gave it and is prefaced with the day, date and time it was created You can create a restore point when you like the way your computer is functioning or before you make changes on your computer, like installing programs, that might make your computer function differently.

Restore operation restore points

Each time you perform a restoration, it is a change made to your computer System Restore creates restore operation restore points to track the change and the restoration You can select these restore operation restore points in the Select a restore point screen in the System Restore Wizard to undo the restoration

Unsigned device driver restore points

System Restore immediately creates a restore point if it detects that you are installing a driver to your computer that has not been signed or certified by Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) If the installation of the driver makes undesirable changes to your computer, you can select these restore points in the Select a restore point screen in the System Restore Wizard to undo the changes and restore your computer to the state that existed before you installed the driver

Microsoft Backup utility recovery restore points

When you perform a recovery using the Backup utility, System Restore immediately creates a restore point before the process starts If the recovery puts your computer in an undesirable state, you can select these restore points in the Select a restore point screen in the System Restore Wizard to undo the changes and restore your computer to the state that existed before you performed the recovery

Note

• If you restore to a restore point before a program was installed, that program does not work after restoration If you want to use the program again, you must reinstall it

• System Restore does not replace the process of uninstalling a program To completely remove the files installed by a program, you must remove the program using Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel or the program's own uninstall program To open Add or Remove Programs, click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Add or Remove Programs

• System Restore does not monitor or restore contents of redirected folders or any settings associated with roaming user profiles

• System Restore monitors and restores only the partitions and drives that it is configured to monitor, not partitions or drives that are redirected or excluded from System Restore monitoring

• If you have encrypted program files (such as files that have the .exe or .dll file name extensions), you can ensure that they can never be restored to a decrypted state To do this, turn off System Restore before you encrypt your files or folders, and then turn System Restore on again after the files or folders are encrypted Or, if you have already encrypted the files or folders, turn System Restore off and on again When you turn off System Restore, you delete all restore points The restore points that are created after System Restore is turned on again will not include times when the files were decrypted Typically, you only encrypt data files, which are not affected by System Restore

About the author

Posted by Eramilde of Katharine Gibbs School - New York on March 7, 2005

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