Files deleted from Hard Drive before Windows Boot?

[3xVicious]

Hey guys, earlier today when I turned on my computer, before it reached the loading screen for Vista a DOS like typing popped on the screen, stating it was checking files for corruption or something.

It started doing a index check and deleted random files. It went by too fast, but I think it deleted some JPGs. Now I'm not sure what it deleted or even why, but I'm concerned it might have been one of the few pictures I don't have on a backup...

Is there anyway to check to see what it deleted and try to recover it, or is it lost for good? Why did it deleted these in the first place? This will drive me crazy until I figure out what my computer is missing.

 

[exdeath]

Look in your application event log for the most recent "winlogon" event that should contain the results of the chkdsk that ran. More than likey it was removing bad indices for Temporary Internet Files or something.

Also look in the system event log for "disk" warnings/errors and make sure the drive isn't showing signs of failure if it's randomly and automatically running chkdsk for no reason.

You can also use NTFS undelete software to scan the drive for any recoverable deleted files, but chance for recovery dwindles the longer you wait and the more the disk is used, including the installation of the recovery software (install the software on another PC and slave up the drive in question if it's that important to you).

In the future I'd suggest keeping backups, archiving stuff to optical disks, and not being so much of a data hoarder. It's like people who's house burns down with 50 years worth of junk in their attic and it's not knowing what they lost rather than losing something specific that freaks them out. It's alot easier when you are more organized and you know what should be there and what you're missing.