Recovering A User Account

[Nordo]

In trying to streamline my wifes Laptop (Win 7 64bit), I deleted her user account as she didn't like having to login and give herself permission for various actions all the time.
Obviously this was the wrong way to go about it.
However when I went to re-create the account, I managed to get most things back but she can't access her photos and other user items.

What can I do to fix this?
I'm not too sure if I know the exact User name she had.
Cheers

 

[richc46]

Welcome
If I understand correctly, your wife had photos and other documents in her account, which cannot now be found
The answer is that these items may have been in her account only and at deletion they disappeared into cyberspace.
The solution would be to download them again or if you have access, give her permissions.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/24232-sharing-permissions.html

 

[richnrockville]

When you choose to delete a user, the option to save their files is best selected. If you still can't
get to them. then you might have to take ownership of the directories where the photos are stored.

right click on properties and see if you can't change the options for security to allow access.

Rich

 

[Nordo]

What's going on with all these "Rich" guys.

I hope richc46 isn't right. I am toast!!!
Most of the photos have long since been wiped off the camera's memory. I did make a backup disc a few years ago, but there have been heaps more photos added since then. Of course she has also lost all her other personal stuff including documents, favourites, etc.

The account only took a split second to delete so that's why I think everything is still there (including HD addresses), just can't be accessed by anyone.

As far as giving access via the security settings, surely the only person who can give access is the original User (who is now no more).

I have confirmed that the new account I created has the exact same name ("Cilla"), but windows treats it as a new account.

Please save me from a fate worse than death!!!!

PS I might add my original post into the General Discussion forum, if it doesn't contravene the rules.

 

[richc46]

You can try to get with disc digger, but use computer as little as possible until then.
You can also use my favorite recuva
http://www.piriform.com/recuva

 

[SledgeDG]

Deleting was that fast because nothing really was deleted (yet). Windows just declares the clusters involved as unoccupied and free for reuse.So you need a software to find those clusters and link the files back together. Recuva would have been my Tool of choice, too.Good call, rich46.
Best would be to get a portable version on a different computer and start it from a USB stick.
The less you write on that specific harddrive, the better the chances to retrieve those files. That involves also to save the found data to a different drive if possible (perhaps even the USB stick

As far as giving access via the security settings, surely the only person who can give access is the original User (who is now no more).

As can every account with admin privileges...but you need to find those files first.

I have confirmed that the new account I created has the exact same name ("Cilla"), but windows treats it as a new account.

That's just the way it is. Windows (as well as Unix and a few others) don't really care about accounts created with names identical to previously deleted ones .It's a safety precaution.

-DG

 

[Nordo]

Thanks.
I've downloaded recuva portable onto another computer. However, I have already downloaded and installed Open Office on my wife's computer, so I may have already lost some of her files.

I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to Recuva. What do I do once I have found the files? How do I make them readable by her new account?

 

[SledgeDG]

Once you have the files, copy them into your wife's Picture folder like
C:\Users\Cilla\Pictures

Depending on whatever rights were set you might have to take ownership over those files

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1911-take-ownership-shortcut.html

If that's not enough, move all the pictures in a sub folder, right click on it and go to
Properties/Security/Edit/Add put in your wife's new user name in the box, click on
check names and when it looks right
, click on OK




That brings you to #4...make sure the just added user name is highlighted
put a check mark in Full Control click Apply and close all remaining windows from that process with OK
That should do it

-DG

 

[Nordo]

Thanks SledgeDG

I made a big blue by using Wizard and doing a deep scan looking for "pictures".
I got thousands of files, many which were repeated 3 or 4 times.

After transferring them to my 4GB USB stick, then burning them onto DVDs on my computer and using up 4 DVDs I realised I must have been doing something wrong. I had thousands of files without any folder structure.
I then tried the Advanced mode. In this mode I selected:
Normal Scan
Keep Folder Structure

I am currently recovering and saving this scan which doesn't seem to have any repeats, and I still have everything retained their correct folders. Also I haen't all the other crap I got the first time (gifs, etc of many other programs).
This will be less than two DVDs, and I'm hoping I can just add them to my wife's new account.
If I have any problems I'll follow your advice with your brilliant step-by step procedure.

I've been using CCleaner by Piriform for many years, but never knew about Recuva. Absolutely brilliant program for idiots like me.

Thanks so much for you help and patience.

PS Have left big ticks in your profile.

 

[SledgeDG]

You are most welcome, Nordo
I'm glad you got your stuff back.
Right...if you see/feel you don't have everything back you could still try the deep scan (just bare in mind that some data might have been overwritten when you installed OpenOffice)
Thank you for the feedback

-DG

 

[Nordo]

I initially did a deep scan and got heaps and heaps of rubbish and repeats. I think the normal scan has picked up most of her current folders of photos.
I have now scanned for documents and emails.
She doesn't think she had any documents and the scan reflects that.
However when scanning for emails I found (and saved) "Thunderbird emails. zip".

Today I and going to try to put all the recovered photos back onto her computer, and figure out if I need the email zip file.
I noticed when I gave her a new account with the same name, she had the last month or so of emails in her in box.

Just wish I hadn't installed Open Office before I realised the problem I had created.
Thanks again.

 

[seekermeister]

I haven't bothered to read this thread in detail, so it may have already been covered, but I'm wondering if there is an appropriate restore point, or backup image to use?

 

[Nordo]

I haven't bothered to read this thread in detail, so it may have already been covered, but I'm wondering if there is an appropriate restore point, or backup image to use?

I tried Restore. It undid all the other things I had done, but did not undo my deletion of a User account.