Hey Everyone, would love some help with a deleted Desktop...

[jachreja]

The Problem:

Basically, somehow I found or created a shortcut/version of "Desktop" in windows 7 x64 in My documents. I accidentally managed to delete this, and it deleted everything that was in the "desktop".

I've had no problem adding new files to it, but all the files that were previously on my desktop are gone.

Some of these are super crucial to my life, and I can't believe i've been such an idiot and not backed up recently.

Any recovery programs run in find nothing...

The only thing i've really tried is to use the shell:desktop command.

Suggestions?

Please help Seven forums, you're my only hope!

 

[boohbah]

have you tried a system restore, or checked the recycle bin?

System Restore - Windows 7 Forums

 

[jachreja]

System restore points was off unfortunately, and nothing in the recycle bin.

 

[James7679]

System restore points was off unfortunately, and nothing in the recycle bin.

ewww, ouch. That's gonna hurt. Unfortunately, if you have been using the computer since the mistake, the sectors where the data originally was could have been written over already. Some of it may be recoverable, but the software, to my knowledge is not cheap.

You can try this http://www.piriform.com/recuva/download

 

[jachreja]

Already tried recuva. Any other suggestions?

What section should I look in, since the desktop folder was in My documents not "desktop"?

 

[James7679]

I don't understand your question. Did you save the files directly to your Desktop? Were they shortcuts to files, or the files themselves?

For a better understanding of how data storage and recovery works Why It Is Impossible To Recover Data From An Overwritten Hard Drive [Technology Explained]

 

[MilesAhead]

It sounds like a strange case. If the thing in Documents was just a link or shortcut to the desktop then deleting it should just delete the link. Sounds like the OP somehow made a hard link to Desktop in Documents.

Probably too late now but for future reference it's a good idea to make back up images to an external drive. There are plenty of high quality free programs to do it now. Macrium Reflect and Easus ToDo Backup are just 2 I'm familiar with.

 

[jachreja]

Like Miles said, it seemed to be a hard link to the desktop, not a shortcut or a link.

That's why the entire directory encompassing all folders and files already on the desktop are gone.

When I run recuva, I get nothing, i'm just kind of confused as the best way to run recuva, meaning should i search in my documents where I deleted it from? Or should I search for the desktop itself?

 

[James7679]

Let us do some research on this. Please discontinue the use of the machine in question. The more you use it, the less likely recovery will be possible.

 

[James7679]

Okay, you are going to run Recuva in Wizard Mode. Then you want to specify the location. Click on browse, navigate to C:>Users>Your account folder>Desktop. Then you can specify the file types you want to find and click Next then select "deep scan". This should result in what ever is there that is recoverable. Let us know.

 

[jachreja]

Wil do so now. Ill let you know the results. Thanks!

 

[W Michel]

When you get all your shortcuts rebuilt, make a desktop directory on a D: or E: (secondary partition) and copy all of your shortcuts to it, just in case. Keep all your files away from MS and in your own directory structure. This was crucial in Windows 95 when Windows could blow up drive C:

 

[jachreja]

Recuva searched it's heart out in multiple folders on both drives multiple times with practically zero use of it besides recuva, and it found nothing, not even a snippet. Hence why I think the files are still there.


Next step?

 

[EzioAuditore]

Wil do so now. Ill let you know the results. Thanks!

If you haven't yet used Recuva, then please keep it that way as even installing pose a risk to your files being overwritten. I'd first try using a livecd as that way no data is written to your hard disk. Below are a couple of tutorials for the same.
One using ubuntu live cd and other BoorMed live cd (via PhotoRec).

Recover Deleted Files on an NTFS Hard Drive from a Ubuntu Live CD - How-To Geek

BootMed Live Cd - Help Diagnose and Repair a Damaged Windows Install

http://www.myfixlog.com/fix.php?fid=56

 

[W Michel]

In the future, open a new directory preferably on a data drive named Desktop Back and copy all your valuable desktop short cuts there for safety where they can be restored in a second.