Restore software?!

[kiddingguy]

So yesterday I reinstalled Windows on my C-partition.

I also have a different harddrive where I keep my documents.

As it turns out for some strange reason is that my documents are deleted there, but I do have the file/folder structure.
I run Backblaze are backup software, but in order to re0use my license I had to remove the backup-set.

What kind of restoring software is that that possibly, and hopefully, can retrieve my lost documents if Backblaze is unable to get my data back?

PC Mag lists these suites, but I'm kinda unfamiliar with them.

 

EDIT:
For some reason there is still some data in some of the folders,

e.g. F:\Folder 1\Folder A has data (files, images, music-files), but the main F:\Folder 1 only folder listings like 'Folder' A but no documents (e.g. Word docs, images), where this folder had these Word docs and images

EDIT2:
Yesterday I had these files. The thing I can think of is that OneDrive tried to sync to my OneDrive folder, and I canceled/rebooted my computer - and uninstalled OneDrive as app from my computer. However, since this is a syncing session I thought it shouldn't involve deleting files.

Edited February 25, 2024 by kiddingguy

[Dutchie64]

Don't really understand here...

You run backup software, but don't have  your folders back upped? Shouldn't there be a recent backup for drive F?

The reinstallation of Windows probably triggered a sync of the personal folders. Did you set the new documents  file path back to F after reinstalling Windows?

Or, If you manually created a documents folder on F to save your files,  the reinstall of Windows shouldn't have removed the files. There  could be something else going on.

So... Where are the backups located you created with Backblaze?

[kiddingguy]

I hope I can retrieve/download my files via a backup op Backblaze.

If not I'll have the files-by-type via Stellar Data Recovery.

Apparently, the file structure got damaged making sure the files had status 'deleted' for some reason. Luckily I'll have the files once more (I'll have to check if they're complete though).
Also, Data Rescue software had the same findings as Stellar. And also here could I only recover the files (not the file structure)

 

QUESTION: I ran a chkdsk and everythings seems normal on this disk. It is wise as to format this drive, so that possible corruptionsare structure damage is no more? And restore/copy the data from an external HDD to this formatted disk where I have put them?

[Dutchie64]

I hope you get your data back, but I have to suggest reading up on the 'method of three' regarding backups.

You don't want this to happen again, or stress about loosing all your data,

Backup, backup some more, and backup all that again. On several different locations/drives/cloud, but that should be obvious.... 

[kiddingguy]

Me too.

I guess the better option would be to format this drive and copy everything back on it again?!

Or manually create the folders and copy the restored files back to its location.

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

I have had good results with data recovery using Runtime Software's GetDataBack line of utilities (commercial, demo available) and CG Security's TestDisk (free).  Another program I see mentioned frequently is DMDE. 

Although it's a bit dated in terms of storage capacities and costs, here is a link to a blog post and a paper that I wrote about selecting a backup strategy for your home or small business.  Might be worth a read.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky
 

[Dutchie64]

On 27/02/2024 at 15:46, kiddingguy said:

Me too.

I guess the better option would be to format this drive and copy everything back on it again?!

Or manually create the folders and copy the restored files back to its location.

Well.... If you really want to know if the drive is still OK, there are diagnostic tools to be found to 'deep dive' into the disk and see if it's about to fail.

Hardware can fail at any time, even new hardware, that's why it's so important to backup your files.
You -could- do a format on the drive and copy the old data back.
But as long as you don't know where this came from, it's just throwing dice and see what happens.

Also, if the data gets corrupted again, and you don't notice it, you will backing up corrupt data. And this will end more or less the same... No data... 🤷‍♂️ 
 

[kiddingguy]

I did a recalculation in time, and I think it has to do with the synchronization - of lack there of - by OneDrive to this drive/partition. *

For some reason it got stuck and didn't respond to whatever - also not via the Task Manager. So, at the end of the day I have to restart. And I think this is were it went totally wrong.

"luckily" I got my data back via a Backblaze backup (there still was one), and the paid help of Stellar Data Recovery (though with file-by-file type, and not the original file structure; but than again... it's better than nothing) 

@goretskyThx for the link. I'll read it through and see what can be improved in my current state & setup.

 

* It reminds me of iTunes back in the days when, if you didn't follow "the right steps" the sync went the wrong way and everything was deleted (instead of added/synced)

[aioraito]

It could be what you have said is what happened, canceled syncing and deleted/uninstalled OneDrive

The other possible thing, the drive might have gotten infected by a malware that hides files from plain sight [but should still be visible if you selected to show hidden files and folders] just like back in Windows XP days, early 2000s to early 2010s

I've used TestDisk in the past, although to me I find it very challenging since it is more CLI than GUI, and I was able to recover files from a corrupted exFAT drive...

The advantage of exFAT over FAT32 is it can store files larger than 4GB although it has higher chances of data corruption compared to FAT32 and NTFS...

I have wiped a flash drive/USB stick with MiniTool Partition Wizard [7 passes] and when I checked it for files to recover, neither Recuva nor File Scavenger 3.2 found anything... I'm not sure if it will be a different result with a different data recovery software but this to me seems to validate that for data recovery methods accessible to consumer, data wipe was successful... Will more advanced data recovery software detect files in my flash drive? I don't know... Maybe...

[Dutchie64]

Still a bit hazy on the details here.

By default, Onedrive tries to backup the user's Desktop, Documents and Pictures folder on the C:\ drive, to the Onedrive cloud.

If you created a similar folder setup on F:\ and - didn't - reset the folder paths of these folders to related folders on F:\ after the reinstall, OneDrive could not have interfered with files on the F:\ drive.
It doesn't know you 'moved' everything outside the default folders, so it will not sync these.
Even if Windows/Onedrive would start to sync files immediately after the new Windows install, it would just sync the files in the cloud to C:\, not F:\

And - if -  you changed the file paths of the default folders to relevant folders on F:\, any sync would just compare what is on both ends.
If Onedrive did it's work before the reinstallation of Windows, there would not be a reason for all this file deletion. Even after canceling the processes manually.
Also, all your files would still exist in the cloud, so you could easily restore anything lost locally.

I'm not saying the reinstall cannot be the culprit here, but still would like to know how the files on F:\ are linked back into the user settings/onedrive environment. For me now it's still a question mark...

And in addition to @aioraito regarding formatting drives. Do use NTFS, drives are so large nowadays that it makes no sense to use FAT32 or exFAT. Unless you really need the compatibility with other systems.

rob

[kiddingguy]

On 29/02/2024 at 11:42, Dutchie64 said:

Still a bit hazy on the details here.

By default, Onedrive tries to backup the user's Desktop, Documents and Pictures folder on the C:\ drive, to the Onedrive cloud.

If you created a similar folder setup on F:\ and - didn't - reset the folder paths of these folders to related folders on F:\ after the reinstall, OneDrive could not have interfered with files on the F:\ drive.
It doesn't know you 'moved' everything outside the default folders, so it will not sync these.
Even if Windows/Onedrive would start to sync files immediately after the new Windows install, it would just sync the files in the cloud to C:\, not F:\

And - if -  you changed the file paths of the default folders to relevant folders on F:\, any sync would just compare what is on both ends.
If Onedrive did it's work before the reinstallation of Windows, there would not be a reason for all this file deletion. Even after canceling the processes manually.
Also, all your files would still exist in the cloud, so you could easily restore anything lost locally.

I'm not saying the reinstall cannot be the culprit here, but still would like to know how the files on F:\ are linked back into the user settings/onedrive environment. For me now it's still a question mark...

And in addition to @aioraito regarding formatting drives. Do use NTFS, drives are so large nowadays that it makes no sense to use FAT32 or exFAT. Unless you really need the compatibility with other systems.

rob

Yes, also a big question for me how files not related and stored on the (synced) OneDrive folder could become corrupt/invisible/deleted.
I have changed the file location of OneDrive from the User folder (on C-drive) to F:\OneDrive.

After that the syncing stopped and didn't respond in whatever way. And I guess that this might have caused some corruption when I finally rebooted my computer (and the syncing, and deleting, went all crazy and did some things it shouldn't have done). So yes, alse here still a question mark to me.

I have fully formatted the F-drive with NTFS and restored the data from the BackBlaze recovery, with some additional files recovered via Stellar on the particular F-folders.
Also here it's strange that I had to restore/modify my MS Office installation in order to (preview and) open the Office files on my computer. I think this shouldn't have been since Office is installed on my C-drive, and the files are saved on my (separate disk & partition) F-drive.

Strange things are happing, but it looks like everything is working now with all my documents in the places where they should be. And ready to be opened & saved once more.

[Dutchie64]

So.... While Onedrive was syncing, you changed the file locations for the default user folders to F:\?
If so, that could be just the reason you're syncing went all whack, as it tried to sync two different file locations for the same folders at the same time.

I still recommend you look into backup methods, the PDf from @goretsky does an excellent job on the topic.
It will give you more peace of mind. Remember.... One backup isn't a backup