my dad screwed up his computer somehow, so i took out the hdd and copied all his c:\user\username files from his vista machine and then reinstalled windows 7. now i have all that data and his 1000s of files, but they're not like they were. now there are only a few files all tagged something like userdata123243895863823982374834293247238438.ms i know the data is there because they're the same size as it was whenever i copied them. anyone have any idea what the hell i do now? thanks in advance.
That requires a Vista dvd where you boot live from that to go into the Repair tools and open the command prompt option for the copy and paste method to flash drive or external hard drive. If Vista was running using the built-in option for saving files and settings would be the preferred method where you would be able to restore them on the fresh 7 installation. Backup Files - Vista Forums
The two guides are from SF's sister forum over at VistaForums. The lengthy file number names appear to have been renamed by the data recovery method you used on the drive once removed from the Vista machine itself. Did you use a 3rd party tool like DrRecovery or some other program like that?
Saw that happen when retrieving everything from an old XP machine resulting in 1,000+ folders with all kinds of number folders to sift through when recovering files from a corrupt partition. The manual copy and paste method seen in the first guide at least preserves the original folder names as well as individual folders.
If you had elected to perform a clean install of 7 over the old Vista installation all user files would have been preserved in the Windows.old folder by default when not seeing the drive reformatted. The original folder structure is retained as well. If the drive was reused you may lost the option for the first method however.
W7 Ultimate x64/W10 Pro x64/W11 Pro Triple Boot - Main PC W7 Remote PC Micro ATX W7 Pro x64/W11 Pro
CPU
AMD Phenom II X4 975 Deneb 3.6ghz - 965 2nd remote pc
Motherboard
Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4-Gigabyte GA-880GM-D2H remote pc
Memory
Kingston Hyper X DDR3 1600 1.5v 16gb - Hyper X Fury 8gb 2nd
Graphics Card(s)
MSI HD Radeon 5750 1gb - MSI HD Radeon 6450 on mini tower
Sound Card
Creative Labs X-Fi Xtreme Audio P - Realtek onooard 2nd case
Monitor(s) Displays
ASUS VW199T-P 19" HP 2082a Main-HP 2082a 20" remote pc
Screen Resolution
Asus 1440x900 - HP 1600x900
Hard Drives
WD Black 1TB HD per OS W7, W10, and pending W11 presently on 500gb OS Drive - Pending Triple 1TB HDs for Spanned Storage/backup volume
Single 2TB external USB enclosure, single 1TB System 7 Host/Boot drive, Pending 8TB external HD for system image b
PSU
Corsair 750TX - primary / Corsair CX600 - second
Case
Antec 900-2 - SSD compatible / NZXT Vulcan mini tower
You have the recovered files but were they recovered by a 3rd party tool? This is what I was pointing out as to why you would end up seeing everything renamed. That will make it a real pain trying to sort everything out!
Unfortunately with the OS drive already wiped you now wouldn't be able to use other alternative methods that would simplify things. If they are still separate folders containing files however and not compressed as an archive the hassle would be sorting out which ones to see transferred back to the other machine.
Recovery programs tend to use their own naming system when recovering data. That would explain the renaming and what you have been leaving out. We will need a little more on how you went about recoverying from the drive.
W7 Ultimate x64/W10 Pro x64/W11 Pro Triple Boot - Main PC W7 Remote PC Micro ATX W7 Pro x64/W11 Pro
CPU
AMD Phenom II X4 975 Deneb 3.6ghz - 965 2nd remote pc
Motherboard
Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4-Gigabyte GA-880GM-D2H remote pc
Memory
Kingston Hyper X DDR3 1600 1.5v 16gb - Hyper X Fury 8gb 2nd
Graphics Card(s)
MSI HD Radeon 5750 1gb - MSI HD Radeon 6450 on mini tower
Sound Card
Creative Labs X-Fi Xtreme Audio P - Realtek onooard 2nd case
Monitor(s) Displays
ASUS VW199T-P 19" HP 2082a Main-HP 2082a 20" remote pc
Screen Resolution
Asus 1440x900 - HP 1600x900
Hard Drives
WD Black 1TB HD per OS W7, W10, and pending W11 presently on 500gb OS Drive - Pending Triple 1TB HDs for Spanned Storage/backup volume
Single 2TB external USB enclosure, single 1TB System 7 Host/Boot drive, Pending 8TB external HD for system image b
PSU
Corsair 750TX - primary / Corsair CX600 - second
Case
Antec 900-2 - SSD compatible / NZXT Vulcan mini tower
I am sorry but you need to answer a few questions. And possibly with a little more detail then you have been providing in the one line answers you've give so far.
1) Where are you seeing those file/folder names you posted.
userdata123243895863823982374834293247238438.ms
On YOUR PC or on your DADs PC?
2) Did you check the files and folder on your PC right after you copied them from your Dads PC? And were the names as you posted at that point?
