Restoring Deleted Files

In a botched attempt to empty the recycle bin via the command line, a massive amount of files and folders form the Windows directory were deleted. I get BSOD when trying Safe or Normal boot.

I used Macrium Reflect to create a rescue disk, used YUMI to put it on a USB stick, added the portable version of Puran to it, and am now trying to see if I can undelete the damage done.

To make sure I got it all I ran a deep/full/lost-files scan and the resulting list of files scares me. Nothing is dated. I have no idea what was deleted when or what I should attempt to restore. There are numerous Windows directories which include files I either don't recognize or recognize to be very old (unlikely to be recently deleted).

How should I decide what to undelete?

The page you linked to states:

"You can only do a repair install from within Windows 7".
You cannot do a repair install at boot or in Safe Mode.

I am unable to boot into Windows. Any attempt to boot the OS results in a BSOD. So am I correct in deducing a Repair Installation is not a possibility for me in my current situation?

computergeekguy said:

Here is one Startup Repair

I just gave this a quick look over. This is the very first thing I tried. The first time it told me to reboot but Windows didn't start. So I started it up again and this time it told me that it would not be able to fix my system automatically. I didn't give me any options or advice or refer me to any sort of microsoft article.

This is why I was left believing that an undelete program was probably my one and only chance. Unfortunately Puran isn't working for me (not operating). So now I'm trying to find a program that will run in the limited Macrium Reflect Windows PE Rescue Environment.

computergeekguy you have single handily saved my bacon! I was unable to get the trial version you linked above to work properly. Apparently when you start it, it is supposed to prompt you about creating a boot image. But this didn't happen for me. After much searching I found a WinPE Boot Image created by this program on the web.

I threw it onto a USB stick with YUMI and did a quick scan. There was a Windows folder there which I backed up to another drive. Then I ran a Ubuntu Live CD and copied the files over onto my Windows drive. I have now successfully gotten into Safe Mode where I ran SFC. This leaves me with a few questions about the state of Windows but I felt that would be best served in a new thread.

Thank you so very much. You have saved my installation!!! :)