Used Robocopy and deleted my files - how can I recover them?

[Triggaaar]

Hi

I've just re-organised my hard drives and I've set up a batch routine to backup my files, using Robocopy.

However, as I swapped my drives around, I've copied in the wrong direction. Robocopy has consequently deleted entire folders of important data.

The data isn't in the recycle bin.

What should I do to try and recover the data?

Thanks

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Is the partition unharmed and still visible in Explorer and Windows Disk Managment?

If it's unharmed, I'd consider PhotoRec or Recuva to recover the files. Both are free.

Ontrack Easy Recovery Professional is also said to be excellent, but I think you ultimately have to pay. Maybe $79?? It will show you the files it can recover, but won't let you actually recover them until you pay.

I'm assuming Robocopy doesn't have any type of "undo" capability.

 

[Triggaaar]

The drive is unharmed - the only problem was that I was backing up the wrong way. Still, I can't believe a copy command would remove files from the destination folder, just because they're not in the original folder.

I don't think there's an undo.

Thanks, I'll have a look at those recovery programs.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I can't believe a copy command would remove files from the destination folder, just because they're not in the original folder.

The backup/copy applications I'm familiar with have a control whereby you can specify if you want files to be deleted from the target if they have been deleted from the original folder. A so-called "mirror image" would of course delete them so that the source and destination folders match.

That appears to be default behavior in Robocopy, but it may have a switch that will NOT delete from the destination. I don't recall--it's been a long time since I looked at it. I knew it was a very powerful tool that could cause problems like you are having if not understood--so I looked elsewhere.

 

[Kaktussoft]

On the destination drive (the drive with the overwritten files) ... is "system protection" active? http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/330-system-protection-turn-off.html
Don't use recovery software yet!!!!

 

[Triggaaar]

On the destination drive (the drive with the overwritten files) ... is "system protection" active? http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/330-system-protection-turn-off.html

I've never heard of that. I've just looked it up, and it says it's on by default, but mine is off for all drives except C: (not the one I have a problem with).

Don't use recovery software yet!!!!

How about now?

I've just run Recuva. It didn't find anything, so I tried again, select the 'look really hard' option. It took over an hour and came up with 8,000 files, 300,000 ignored. It's found files that must have been deleted ages ago, but can't see any of the files I'm looking for - something weird is going on.