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saved over a crucial file :(

T

teatime0315

Senior member
So I was at work. Accidently messed up one of the files i was working on, saved it. Now the file is permanently messed up. Is there ANY POSSIBLE way I can recover it?
IE: would system restore help at this point? (i doubt it)
 
If the data was on a Windows Server 2003 file share, there's Volume Shadow Copy that automatically keeps previous versions of files. Vista will do the same thing on a workstation. No backups?
 
no backups unfortunately 🙁
its running on a Windows XP machine
thanks for your response rebate 🙂
any other thoughts?
 
Microsoft: Frequently Asked Questions about System Restore in XP

System Restore MIGHT help, but it's very unlikely. It depends on what type of file it is and where it's stored. If it's stored in your "My Documents Folder", then don't bother. System Restore doesn't monitor that folder. System Restore also doesn't monitor common document types such as .DOC and .XLS.

Also, if this is a MS Office document, consider turning on "make automatic backups of saved files". This could "save" you next time.
 
Originally posted by: teatime0315
So I was at work. Accidently messed up one of the files i was working on, saved it. Now the file is permanently messed up. Is there ANY POSSIBLE way I can recover it?
IE: would system restore help at this point? (i doubt it)
Click to expand...
What filetype was the file? If it happened to be a Word document, enable displaying of hidden/system files in Control Panel > Folder Options, set that view for ALL FOLDERS, then do a search of the HDD for .tmp files created in the last 2 days in the folder where the file lives, and in your user profile.

Probably futile, but sometimes you do get lucky. If you do find some, and their filesizes aren't zero, try opening them with Word. These could be Word autosaves.

Also, if you have a domain on your network, maybe you use Roaming Profiles, in which case the server might have a copy of the previous file on a backup tape. Ask the IT guy to put on his Miracle-Worker Hat and try to recover it for you. 😀
 
Originally posted by: mechBgon
Originally posted by: teatime0315
So I was at work. Accidently messed up one of the files i was working on, saved it. Now the file is permanently messed up. Is there ANY POSSIBLE way I can recover it?
IE: would system restore help at this point? (i doubt it)
Click to expand...
What filetype was the file? If it happened to be a Word document, enable displaying of hidden/system files in Control Panel > Folder Options, set that view for ALL FOLDERS, then do a search of the HDD for .tmp files created in the last 2 days in the folder where the file lives, and in your user profile.

Probably futile, but sometimes you do get lucky. If you do find some, and their filesizes aren't zero, try opening them with Word. These could be Word autosaves.

Also, if you have a domain on your network, maybe you use Roaming Profiles, in which case the server might have a copy of the previous file on a backup tape. Ask the IT guy to put on his Miracle-Worker Hat and try to recover it for you. 😀
Click to expand...

does anyone know if this will work on Microsoft Works?
 
Originally posted by: teatime0315
🙁 i feel really bad... the file was a database of over 6000 clients
i think I'm fvcked 🙁
Click to expand...
dasm :Q Think carefully, have you ever put a copy of the file onto a CD, or emailed it to anyone (in which case, look in Sent Items), or any other copies you could lay hands on?
 
well i just started working there for like a week.
Boss says there aren't any copies. (I thought this was stupid)
But it was my idiotic fault...
So does anyone know if the .tmp file thing would work with Microsoft Work.
 
Originally posted by: teatime0315
🙁 i feel really bad... the file was a database of over 6000 clients
i think I'm fvcked 🙁
Click to expand...

Oh man, you are screwed 🙁. I can't think of anything at all other than disk images and such (stuff already covered here) that could save you...

If it's any consolation, it's not your fault that your company doesn't have a sufficient backup strategy to account for this.
 
Yeah, if it's any consolation, I can assure you that the primary responsibility lies on the owner for not having a backup plan for the business. Accidents happen, and overwriting a file is very common and understandable.

You didn't say exactly what you did to "mess up" the file. "Real" databases keep backup copies of their content, keep logs of changes, and don't actually "delete" records until you intentionally purge them.
 
thanks for all your help everyone 🙂
turns out there was a file that was saved in another directory but its a little out-dated...
Still useful 🙂 .
And thanks again everyone
 
Originally posted by: teatime0315
thanks for all your help everyone 🙂
turns out there was a file that was saved in another directory but its a little out-dated...
Still useful 🙂 .
And thanks again everyone
Click to expand...
sweet 😎

 
generally even when you save over a file it doesn't necessarily save in the same spot so undelete software might be able to recover the file. I hope after this the company will start backing up its important files and move that from works to at least access (though sql would be better). All important files should be backed up weekly to either another drive or cd's or online or tape or something. What would they have done if the hard drive on that machine died?
 
Originally posted by: mechBgon
Originally posted by: teatime0315
thanks for all your help everyone 🙂
turns out there was a file that was saved in another directory but its a little out-dated...
Still useful 🙂 .
And thanks again everyone
Click to expand...
sweet 😎
Click to expand...

yup very sweet 🙂
thanks for your help mechBgon
 
Originally posted by: jkresh
generally even when you save over a file it doesn't necessarily save in the same spot so undelete software might be able to recover the file. I hope after this the company will start backing up its important files and move that from works to at least access (though sql would be better). All important files should be backed up weekly to either another drive or cd's or online or tape or something. What would they have done if the hard drive on that machine died?
Click to expand...

hehe... The boss is doing daily back-ups now 🙂
 
Originally posted by: teatime0315
Originally posted by: jkresh
generally even when you save over a file it doesn't necessarily save in the same spot so undelete software might be able to recover the file. I hope after this the company will start backing up its important files and move that from works to at least access (though sql would be better). All important files should be backed up weekly to either another drive or cd's or online or tape or something. What would they have done if the hard drive on that machine died?
Click to expand...

hehe... The boss is doing daily back-ups now 🙂
Click to expand...

good...looks like he learned his lesson.
 
haha yeah 🙂 hopefully this never ever happens to me ever again... hoping my co-worker pulls something like this so i could joke around with him..
I'm "slippery-fingers" at work now 🙁 o wells haha
 
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