Windows XP Reinstall...Lost all files in "My Document Folder"

[rimmi2002]

I just reinstalled windows XP because my system was not booting...I had 1000+ pictures saved in my documents/my pictures folder and many important documents...that I really wanted to recover and I made the fatal mistake as I just found out of using the same user name...so all old document and settings folders were replaced my new document and settings folder. I really want the pictures back. Is there any way/software that will help me recover these files. Please advise. Thanks.

 

[Rottie]

Whatever you decide to re install Windows OS, always do back up your documents, pictures folders.

 

[nace186]

Check if you have a folder call old windows. Usually when you re install, windows will put the old system in a specific folder.

 

[rimmi2002]

Ther is no folder called old windows...during the install I installed over the old windows folder. The problem is all my whole document and setting folder was deleted also.

This hasn't happened to me before because I had been lucky and had been using a different user name of each new install...so in the past after re-installing the document and setting folder there would be a folder for the new user and folders for the old user name. This time I just happened to use the same user name as the previous install and it replaced all the old "document and user setting" folders with new empty folders of the new name.

I think I need a program that can recover deleted files from the HD. These files were deleted during windows install. Any idea which software is the best at doing this?

My HD storage space went from 15gb used to like 6gb used..after the install...I did not reformat the HD, and it is evident by all other folders "program files" with files from all previous programs are still on the computer.

 

[Leros]

This is a good NTFS recovery tool, but it can only recover files that are in sectors that haven't been written over yet. I've erased giant amounts of data and been able to recover it because I haven't overwritten. You're likely to have overwritten the old data with your new Windows install. Stop using that disk ASAP. Pull it out and put it into another computer if you can.

http://www.runtime.org/gdb.htm

This program is free to run to see what it can find, but you have to pay to recover the files.

 

[Blazer]

keeping a copy of "My Documents" on another HD avoids these mistakes

 

[SpaceHulk]

You've probably already looked here, but for sake of starting off basic try this:

First make all folders unhidden and you are logged in with administrator rights

then goto: C:\Documents and Settings

you may have multiple folders that look something like this:

C:\Documents and Settings\username
C:\Documents and Settings\username.000
etc.

You may find your old my documents folder in one of those.

 

[rimmi2002]

Originally posted by: SpaceHulk
You've probably already looked here, but for sake of starting off basic try this:

First make all folders unhidden and you are logged in with administrator rights

then goto: C:\Documents and Settings

you may have multiple folders that look something like this:

C:\Documents and Settings\username
C:\Documents and Settings\username.000
etc.

You may find your old my documents folder in one of those.

Tried to unhide all files, no success...I am pretty sure its deleted mainly telling from the size of the free space decreasing by 6gb+ after the install.

 

[lxskllr]

PCInspector It's free, and it worked for me.