Lost pictures

[artist]

I was trying to get rid of some duplicate files.

W7

I had to picture locations with the same files in each. I deleted one and have seemingly lost all the pictures. They didn't go to the recycle bin - so where?

There are some I won't be able to replace. Please tell me I can find them.............

I suppose I could do a restore if there's no other way?

[-pops-]

Not sure a system restore would do the trick, artist. It doesn't restore personal files and such.

What about your backup or, as I use, 2nd Copy. Bit late for the latter one but worth bearing in mind to the future.

[Alan2273]

Artist, what were the two locations ?.

You could try this free program
/>http://download.cnet.com/Pandora-Recovery/3000-2094_4-10694796.html?part=dl-PandoraRe&subj=dl&tag=button

[AlanHo]

W7 Explorer (like Vista) can be a bit confusing.

The Pictures folder appears twice in the left pane - once in the Libraries section and secondly shown under Computer on the relevent hard drive. It looks like the pictures are duplicated in two locations - but they are in fact one and the same. The folder in the Libraries section is merely a link from the actual Pictures folder on the hard drive.

Hence - if you delete pictures from the Pictures folder in the Library - you are in fact also deleting them from the hard drive - or vici versa.

I do not understand why those you have deleted do not appear in the recycle bin - unless you have run something like CCleaner since you deleted them which emptied the recycle bin.

If you know the precise name of one of the pictures - try searching for it to see if it shows up somewhere else. Click on the Windows Orb (bottom left) and enter the file name in the search box. If the picture is found it will appear above the search box - right click on it and click on properties to see its exact location.

If this fails I would suggest you download and run Recuva to find the deleted files.

Don't panic yet - all may not be lost.

[artist]

Artist, what were the two locations ?.

You could try this free program
/>http://download.cnet.com/Pandora-Recovery/3000-2094_4-10694796.html?part=dl-PandoraRe&subj=dl&tag=button

one was 'picture library' and the other was 'pictures'

I don't know what poseessed me .............

[AlanHo]

Artist

I should have mentioned - just in case it slips your mind - that you should minimise the use of your computer and not save any more files for the time being - just in case your deleted files get over-written before you run a recovery programme to find them.

[artist]

Artist

I should have mentioned - just in case it slips your mind - that you should minimise the use of your computer and not save any more files for the time being - just in case your deleted files get over-written before you run a recovery programme to find them.

There's only the recovery doing on...another 2 hours or more to go.

I'm assuming I will have sort that lot out when I finally get them?

[AlanHo]

Any news on how you got on......?

I hope it was successful.

[artist]

I gave it up. It had found LOADS. I opened a few and there were even the avatars on this forum. I tried narrowing it down to jpeg files - still thousands!

Then I tried a time limit to one day - just the same.

I decided to reinstal every thing - it's ongoing today - and the pics I lost I am begging around people to send them to me again. ( Gives them something to do :P )

Thanks for the try though.

[catgate]

I gave it up. It had found LOADS. I opened a few and there were even the avatars on this forum. I tried narrowing it down to jpeg files - still thousands!

Then I tried a time limit to one day - just the same.

I decided to reinstal every thing - it's ongoing today - and the pics I lost I am begging around people to send them to me again. ( Gives them something to do :P )

Thanks for the try though.

I can not replace that one of me in a on the beach, nor the one of you in the fishnets. I just can not find them.

[artist]

I gave it up. It had found LOADS. I opened a few and there were even the avatars on this forum. I tried narrowing it down to jpeg files - still thousands!

Then I tried a time limit to one day - just the same.

I decided to reinstal every thing - it's ongoing today - and the pics I lost I am begging around people to send them to me again. ( Gives them something to do :P )

Thanks for the try though.

I can not replace that one of me in a on the beach, nor the one of you in the fishnets. I just can not find them.

I am DEVASTED! I was relying on you to replace them............ :(

[-pops-]

Backup?

[artist]

I have spent all day uploading from old discs, sorting and finally downloading the lot to new discs. I had originally intended to do this anyway - it's not as if ALL the pictures are used all of the time.

I just hadn't intended to do it just yet....

The folder named 'Picture Library' seems to have totally vanished. Ah well, I suppose I can live without it.

[Irene]

artist, if you want to restore 'Picture Library'....

1. Open a Windows Explorer window.

2. In the Navigation Pane, right click on Libraries and click on Restore Default Libraries.

It's unlikely to restore your photos, but you will get the Library facility back. :)

[AlanHo]

Artist

I bet pops is itching to remind you that you would have avoided all this heartache if you had an external hard drive and used Acronis and/or Second Copy to create back-ups of your system and data so that you could easily recover all your stuff when disaster strikes.

No-one is immune - sooner or later, no matter how careful you are, your hard drive will let you down and you will have an urgent need for a proper back up routine.

[-pops-]

Artist

I bet pops is itching to remind you that you would have avoided all this heartache if you had an external hard drive and used Acronis and/or Second Copy to create back-ups of your system and data so that you could easily recover all your stuff when disaster strikes.

No-one is immune - sooner or later, no matter how careful you are, your hard drive will let you down and you will have an urgent need for a proper back up routine.

Already done so - twice :)

[artist]

I have got some back up discs only made them a couple of weeks ago - on the 10th - how often would you suggest?

I also made a system repair disc. The computer is checking the disc on start up - since I deleted that file - now would be a good time to use the repair disc, me thinks...

[artist]

I put in the repair disc - it's not on autorun and I don't know how to start it... :0 Help???

[AlanHo]

If you are referring to the Windows 7 Recovery Disc - it will autorun at boot up only if your computer boot priority in the BIOS is set to boot from the DVD drive before the hard drive(s).

However - the Windows Recovery Disc is used to repair or recover your Windows 7 system files - it will not recover data files like documents, pictures etc.

You say you have back up discs - how did you make them (program used) - and are they copies of your data files?

[artist]

If you are referring to the Windows 7 Recovery Disc - it will autorun at boot up only if your computer boot priority in the BIOS is set to boot from the DVD drive before the hard drive(s).

However - the Windows Recovery Disc is used to repair or recover your Windows 7 system files - it will not recover data files like documents, pictures etc.

You say you have back up discs - how did you make them (program used) - and are they copies of your data files?

When I bought the PC it kept on telling me to make back up discs - which I did - also a 'system repair disc' - which I did. I assumed the repair disc would autorun on insertion but it doesn't.

Since my 'little mistake' when the PC boots up it starts to 'check the discs' it says there seems to be a problem(?) and It recommends I should let the check carry on. When it finishes all seems as normal - straight on to the password screen.

BTW Irene - I tried that - the folder didn't return.

[Irene]

artist, have you seen THIS Microsoft guide to restoring lost or deleted files?

Also, might be worth looking through THIS thread.

[AlanHo]

artist, have you seen THIS Microsoft guide to restoring lost or deleted files?

Also, might be worth looking through THIS thread.

Well, well, well - they say you learn something every day. I had never taken much notice of the right click "restore previous versions" option until I read your post Irene - so being curious - I have just had a play with the function.

When I right click on the Windows folder - or any of its sub-folders - and access the "restore previous version" option, I get a list of previous versions identified by date. These are clearly the restore points that Windows has automatically taken.

When I do the same on any of my data folders - documents, pictures, videos, music etc - I get nothing. There are no previous versions saved. I deleted one of my sub folders in documents as an experiment - and tried again - but still nothing.

This confirms the info in your links that this only works when the file or folder you seek has already been saved by Windows - either in a restore point (system files only) or in a back up taken using the Windows back up facility.

[artist]

I tried the R click too - and many other things. No luck - I'm over worrying about it now........

I lost the weather gadget too - There is no 'restore to an earlier version'. Strangely, on the M/S page (or was it one of mant forums I went on) it said that some

Of the gadgets don't work with the 64bit system - so maybe it was a fluke that I had it in the first case. I have the big date and the big clock - they seem ok.

[artist]

Everything is where it should be this morning.....Very odd!

:)