Solved How to regain personal certificates after System Repair?

[Zorzi]

Hello

Week ago just experienced something very strange: while casual surfin' - PC crashed - rebooted and opted 2 options: normal start, system repaire (recommened).
I don't know exactly what was written,but that's basically it.

The startup repair always failed to identify the problem. And normal boot hanged at logo screen.... Something like: http://www.sevenforums.com/backup-restore/144957-startup-repair-certificate-recovery.html so I had to do something to get PC going again.

Then after reading forums,... tried repair with install DVD - I put it in: and it offered repair... everything went well. It's just that I lost profiles of 2 users I had

Now... Programs are all there up and working fine: profiles, and data in "My Docs" is lost - along with certicates... It said it won't touch personal settings... so I went on with repair from DVD

Now: can I get these data back: certificates from certificate store (imported via IE), would be great, even better if I would get Documents for each (previous) users - the pics, word,.... is it all lost: is it anywhere on the disk? Or lost forever...? I really would need at least certificates

I would be very glad for any help...

Also: WHY? Why thid this happen? It was not a virus or malware (99% sure).... I think it have something to do with sytem updates and system (win7) not some setting or similar.

Zorzi

 

[Zorzi]

oh yeah: if it helps - since I don't remember every step - but it did show a list of "corrupted" files and offered a fix/replacement.

also, now there is no restore point before that "repair" date...

but I don't get it: it's supposed to be repair, not something in-between: it presevrved apps, but not user profiles, and data saved there - so it's basically useless: data is by far more important then apps....

 

[Zorzi]

Anyone? Please...

 

[writhziden]

Are you sure the data was lost and not just the profiles themselves? Have you checked under C:\Users?

 

[Zorzi]

Are you sure the data was lost and not just the profiles themselves? Have you checked under C:\Users?

I'm sure.
Profile is empty and olny one - previous administrator; which I mostly used. Others are gone.

but... I'm not following you here: "are you sure the data was lost and not just the profiles themselves?"
Hmm... Data was a part of profile, under c:\Users\... - so if a user/profile:that is folder at filesystem level is not there anymore - so are not documents associated with the profile.
Correct me if I wrong... (I would be glad that I am wrong).

So: yes, c:\users is empty -welll: now only have 1 profile - the new one that win repair created.
To be honest I don't remember if I had to type the name of user... I know it was kinda strange repair: it discovered "corrupted" files - offered a fix, and then also I had to set language for keyboard, and a few (not all!) things - that are part of blank installation...

And here comes the question again: can I somehow get old profiles? (System restore points are not there anymore - so no going back in time ).
Or at least certificates (that is most important right now).

It strange to me: because "repair" did offer files that were somehow "corrupted" - but I ended up with more or less fresh install - graphic drivers gone,... that was not what repair "said" :sarc:

Has it anything to do with win version? I have msdn (via job, and academic via masters program): so I installed (without thinking too much ) - enterprise edition.

 

[writhziden]

I am not incredibly familiar with the Enterprise edition, but I would be very surprised if what you described was normal behavior in any edition.

Let's see if the files still exist but are hidden from you. Open an http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/783-elevated-command-prompt.html and type in the following commands:

cd %userprofile%
cd ..
dir /a
​

Are your user profiles listed?

 

[Zorzi]

@writhziden

thanks for the advice - I did not try that: I forgot: did not even think about it

But: something even wierder happened couple of days ago: It was a storm outside, I don't have UPS, so for a second or two electricity was out (lightning)... The computer rebooted itself: it showed two "instances" of Win... :
1. Windows 7
2. Windows 7 Enterprise

2nd one said like "repaired" or "recommended" in brackets - I boot-ed in first: it was to quick to change it to 2nd - and voila there was my "old" desktop.... profiles... So: all was there (probably the whole time, just hidden like writhziden said).

Now... I'm sure : the windows were installed and repaired from same CD - what happened and why... (?) - I hope it's not one of the tons of updates that just isn't compatible (somehow): since I have updates for win, sqlsrv, visual studio.

Yes, files were hidden from "other" instance/boot of windows obiously. It's kind a strange... I must get rid of this "second" one...

 

[writhziden]

I believe you are looking for: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2288-operating-system-start-delete-os-list-boot.html

Also, have you ever had another installation of Windows 7 besides your current installation on your system? I wonder if it picked up an old install or something when it repaired...