Need help restoring a backup folder

[wfc]

The good news is that I backup, using Windows backup and restore.

The bad news is that I deleted an older backup folder to make space.
The worse news is that I saw I deleted the wrong data folder (to make space) right after I deleted the backup folder.

The good news is that I was able to recover the old backup folder from the recycle bin.

The bad news is that now, Windows restore doesn't "see" the restored folder.

More bad news is that I can't figure out how to access the data in the zip files, which I see in the directory.
The error messages tells me the zip file is invalid, but I don't believe that since I got the files out of the recycle bin right after I deleted it.

What do I need to do to get windows to recognize this backup folder, and/or how can I open the zip files to extract the data?

I have over a years worth of work in the deleted file, so I'm desperate.
Special thanks to anyone who can help me restore my files.
WFC

 

[speedgamer01]

Try restarting the laptop first!

 

[wfc]

This happened over a month ago, and I've tried everything I can think of to get my data back. The laptop's been restarted hundreds of times since then.

 

[essenbe]

Have you tried this tutorial

 

[mjf]

How to Manually Recover a Windows Backup

I use but admit both Windows imaging & file/folder backup are not robust in auto locating backup data sets. A corruption of a small MediaID file is all that is needed.
I experimented a little and find this procedure works for me.

How to Manually Recover Windows file/folder Backups

This will retain your original directory/folder structure.

1) Right click your file/folder backup named like "JONES-PC". Select Open and choose a backup set folder eg. "Backup Set 2011-06-23 194949".
2) Double click to open the Backup Set folder. You will see a number of Backup Files folders eg. "Backup Files 2011-06-23 194949". One will be large and be the first main backup of the set. The other folders will be smaller and be subsequent incremental backups.
3) Open each "Backup files " folder and there are your backup .zip files. Start with the large "Backup file ..." folder.
4) Create a recovery folder somewhere (say a data partition or an external drive).
5) Install 7-zip so that it appears as a right click option.
6) Highlight one or more of the .zip files and right click select 7-zip.
7) Choose "Extract files...". Under "Extract to:" browse to your recovery folder.
Ensure "Path mode:" is set to "Full pathnames". Select ok.
8) Do this for all .zip files in each of the "Backup files..." folders.

That's it.

An advantage of the Windows file/folder backup is that the zip files don't form what is called a spanned set like many other backup programs so they can be individually recovered.

 

[wfc]

Thanks for the attempt MJF - I had unsuccessfully used my default, WinRar, to try to unzip, which I assumed would open any zip file.
I tried 7-Zip as you suggested and see the same result - can't open the backup zip file as archive.
I don't believe all 186 files are corrupted, but this needs some little trick to access their contents.

 

[wfc]

@ essenbe - - - Yes, I've studied the tutorial. In a more recent backup, going into the zip files works fine.

 

[mjf]

Thanks for the attempt MJF - I had unsuccessfully used my default, WinRar, to try to unzip, which I assumed would open any zip file.
I tried 7-Zip as you suggested and see the same result - can't open the backup zip file as archive.
I don't believe all 186 files are corrupted, but this needs some little trick to access their contents.

Curious. Spanned zips can be a problem but I've never can a problem opening Windows zips.

Can you give the specific error when attempting to unzip using 7-zip?

Clutching at straws - it could be an ownership issue. I copy out the zip folder first to another location.

 

[wfc]

..............

 

[mjf]

I don't know what Windows does if you delete a backup set from within "Manage Space".
I can only suggest you try another recovery approach using RECUVA and see if the zips are in tact.
You can obviously pull the data from a recent image if you have one of the partition.

Did you really have just one backup of a years worth of work