I unplugged my laptop and put it in my room because I had all this new furniture delivered, and I didn't want it to get in the way.
Today, I finally had my cable installed.
When the guy turned on my computer, I realized that ALL OF MY STUFF IS GONE. My pictures, music, documents, everything!
WHAT HAVE I DONE?
-pH
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
How was it organized? Was it all in a single folder - e.g. "My Documents" with its various subfolders?
Was it on a separate hard drive that could have been damaged / wiped?
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
Or did you log in under a different profile, which made everything appear to disappear?
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Everything was in this hard drive. In "My Documents." It's like, all of my programs are still on it. But all of my media stuff and my papers and everything are GONE! GONE, I SAY!
It's like it's being a brand new computer, but with Firefox and Napster and VLC media player and stuff on it.
And I only have one profile. I don't even have a guest account activated.
-pH
Posted by TheHumanTarget (Member # 7129) on :
Do a search for MyDocuments. It's possible that the folder got moved.
Posted by Jay (Member # 5786) on :
Any chance someone else messed with it?
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Not unless the cable guy messed with it, but why would he do that? The only other person who's been in my bedroom is my boyfriend.
Bwar. I can't find it! I have a My Documents folder...it's just empty. It's so weird! It reset my desktop settings and stuff, too.
-pH
Posted by TheHumanTarget (Member # 7129) on :
pH, Do a find, and look for *.whatever extension file you're looking for. The files could have been moved somehow.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
It only found the documents in the recycle bin...which are ones that I put there a few weeks ago. The rest of my documents are gone!
-pH
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
Ask the cable company if you continue not finding anything, just in case.
Posted by TheHumanTarget (Member # 7129) on :
Also, it can never be said too many times:
Make sure you have up-to-date virus protection running on your computer.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Gah. I can't find any of it! Now I'm really glad that the management paper I'm putting together is turned in piece-by-piece on Blackboard...I can get that back, at least. Twenty-two pages...
Wouldn't a virus make the computer all like...non-functioning? I mean, it actually seems to be working BETTER, like I can open Internet Explorer (because some pages don't like Firefox) and not get eighty million pop-ups.
But I want my stuff back.
-pH
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Could it be that the relevant folders and files have been marked as hidden? You may already have things set so that hidden files and folders are displayed, but if not, here's how you can set it so that they are:
Open My Documents. Go to Tools-->Folder Options. Click on the "View" tab. In the "Advanced settings" window that occupies the lower 2/3 of the tab, you'll see a folder icon labeled "Hidden files and folders". Click on the "Show hidden files and folders" radio button. Click OK.
Hope this helps.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
If you go into Documents and Settings, what folders are there?
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
Star Trek IV.
pH wins the funny pop-culture reference of the day award.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
Wait, you were getting popups just from opening internet explorer? You had adware/spyware, and it might have deleted your documents (though that would be somewhat unusual behavior). You should always keep your computer free of adware and spyware (and viruses and the like).
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Documents and Settings has: All Users Default User Holland Holland.Oberon
NOW it's acting kind of strangely...and I kept running all kinds of adware/spyware removing programs, but it never went away!
Now it's telling me that the disk in my C drive is not formatted and asking if I want to format it now.
-pH
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
Uh, yeah, that's a problem. However, the problem of your disappearing files is likely solved; there likely was a new account created, and its whichever of the Holland and Holland.Oberon that you aren't currently using (or weren't using just now, given that you have deeper problems).
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
But when I log off, only one account shows up.
My recycle bin is gone!
Augh. At least I'm due for a new computer soon anyway.
-pH
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
Look inside both folders and see if your stuff is in one of them.
Posted by Swampjedi (Member # 7374) on :
"I know you're in there, computer!"
<laughs with PC>
...no pun intended
Posted by Krease (Member # 9536) on :
1. Make sure you're showing hidden files. 2. Just do a search for the files. Like Start->Search. If they're there, they'll show up.
Even though you only have one login, there's 4 possible 'My Documents' it might be under from what you posted earlier. On mine, it sometimes ends up in 'Default User' instead of 'Krease' where most of it is. Not sure why.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
This is a very scary thread. I'm a-scared.
Posted by Earendil18 (Member # 3180) on :
It does sound like a new profile was created for some weird reason. The reason you can see the same old programs is because they were installed to allow for "all users" to access them.
In the Documents and Settings Folder, check both the Holland and Holland.Oberan folders for their own "My Documents" folder tucked away in them. (With all of your stuff! )
Just copy the one with your stuff in it, over to the empty My Documents folder and you should be squared away.
Posted by Vadon (Member # 4561) on :
quote:Originally posted by Primal Curve: Star Trek IV.
pH wins the funny pop-culture reference of the day award.
I wanted to mention that, but it would have been the first reply, and it seemed rude to bring it so soon. Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Noo-clee-arr Weh-ssels.
It won't let me click on the "Holland" documents. Just Holland.Oberon. It gets all frozen up when I click Holland. And this time it said, "The disk in drive C cannot be formatted."
Bwar, I'll go to Best Buy tomorrow. Or Radio Shack around the corner.
-pH
Posted by Alcon (Member # 6645) on :
I'd go with Best Buy.. I dunno how Radio Shack is with software stuff.
And that is definately a great pop culture reference. Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
quote:Originally posted by Primal Curve: Star Trek IV.
pH wins the funny pop-culture reference of the day award.
That's hello MR. Computer.
Geek test... FAIL!!!
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
Best Buy and Radio Shack are both not the place to go if you're going to have them help you with your troubles. For a new computer, Best Buy over Radio Shack any day.
Posted by Earendil18 (Member # 3180) on :
quote:Originally posted by Orincoro:
quote:Originally posted by Primal Curve: Star Trek IV.
pH wins the funny pop-culture reference of the day award.
That's hello MR. Computer.
Geek test... FAIL!!!
Um, no. pH had it right the first time.
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
You can be, and are wrong. :nanana:
Posted by JennaDean (Member # 8816) on :
Ooh, a challenge. I have that movie right here ... let me pop it in the VCR.
Posted by dantesparadigm (Member # 8756) on :
VCR!
Geek Test.. FAIL!!!
I've never actually watched star trek, eveything I know about it comes from spoofs or wikipedia.
Posted by JennaDean (Member # 8816) on :
Yeah, VCR, I've had the movie since it first came out, and DVD's didn't exist. Sue me.
Okay, Geek report:
"Computer? ... Computer? ... Hello, computer!"
... and pH wins!!!
Posted by Boris (Member # 6935) on :
What I believe has happened is some virus/malware/jerk cable guy(Probably not the last, but we're exploring all options here, eh?) has created a new user, shut down your account's ability to log in through the welcome page (which actually just gave me an idea, I'll get back to it in a second), set your original account's files as private, and set the default user as Holland.Oberon.
Anyway, on to my lightbulb Log in to the computer normally. Click Start->Control Panel->Users Accounts. Select "Change the way users log on or off" then uncheck the box that says "Use the welcome screen" in it. Once that's done, log out of windows and you'll get a prompt to type in a username and password. Type in Holland in username and your password (if you had one) in the other box and hit enter. This *should* log you in with your old account (again, assuming the virus hasn't shut down that account's ability to log in, which is possible). If you can get in this way, you should find all your files and other information sitting where it's supposed to be.
At any rate, it's possible to remove the hard drive from the laptop, connect it to another computer, take administrative access of the locked out files, and restore them. This, of course, is assuming you can find a technician that knows his way around Windows, which isn't going to happen with either Best Buy or Radio Shack. You can *try* to look around at some of the mom'n'pop computer repair shops and see what they can do for you. Personally, I'd suggest getting whatever data you can backed up, reformatting, and getting the data restored. I don't normally recommend formatting, because it's possible to solve almost any problem without it, but it is the cheapest, least time consuming option available.
edit: I find it fitting that I used my 2000th post to address a computer issue *beans self on head for forgetting about the landmark thing*
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Well, I haven't been able to reply to you guys because my computer decided that it no longer wanted to load Windows. It would start loading, then bring me to a screen telling me that the previous load didn't go properly and told me to choose the last boot option (load Windows normally). Then it would start loading and bring me back to the black screen again. So I took it to Best Buy, and the guy said that if the system restore disk didn't work, it'd be a week before they could do a diagnostic. And it was going to cost sixty bucks just for that.
So I bought a new laptop for cheap because Best Buy let me finance it because I am no longer a menace to socie-er...creditors.
This way, I can still write my papers and have time to get the other computer fixed without having to spaz out at some poor computer repair guy. And I'm really liking this laptop so far. It's all tiny and light, and it was really inexpensive. It has all the features I wanted on the HP I was building, but for like half the price.
I dub thee Oberon Jr.
-pH
Posted by Boris (Member # 6935) on :
quote:Originally posted by pH: Well, I haven't been able to reply to you guys because my computer decided that it no longer wanted to load Windows. It would start loading, then bring me to a screen telling me that the previous load didn't go properly and told me to choose the last boot option (load Windows normally). Then it would start loading and bring me back to the black screen again. So I took it to Best Buy, and the guy said that if the system restore disk didn't work, it'd be a week before they could do a diagnostic. And it was going to cost sixty bucks just for that.
So I bought a new laptop for cheap because Best Buy let me finance it because I am no longer a menace to socie-er...creditors.
This way, I can still write my papers and have time to get the other computer fixed without having to spaz out at some poor computer repair guy. And I'm really liking this laptop so far. It's all tiny and light, and it was really inexpensive. It has all the features I wanted on the HP I was building, but for like half the price.
I dub thee Oberon Jr.
-pH
Did you try selecting the "Use last known settings that worked" thing when booting? Sometimes that works well. But I'm guessing you might actually have a relatively dead hard drive.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Pearce, I think you got totally scammed.
I'm willing to bet that when they hooked you up to your cable connection, they changed your workgroup or domain without realizing it, and thus created a new (probably non-admin) user account. And the Best Buy guys -- they call them the Geek Squad now, which is pretty much a smear on the name of the original Geek Squad, a group of techs from this area who'd make house calls and who were fairly competent until they got bought and neutered by Best Buy -- don't usually know their heads from a hole in the ground. The mere fact that they didn't know how or want to try to fix your system without resorting to the restore CD should have been a tip-off. In general, you should never believe a tech who mentions a restore CD before trying other options.
That said, if you got a good deal on a new laptop, I'm happy for you. But you could probably have gotten a working laptop with all your data on it by taking your machine to a real tech and paying him $30.
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
quote:Originally posted by JennaDean: Okay, Geek report:
"Computer? ... Computer? ... Hello, computer!"
... and pH wins!!!
DAMN! I WAS SO SURE!!!!
Oh god. I gotta clear my head man. I gotta get out of here! Posted by Earendil18 (Member # 3180) on :
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
)![[Mad]](mad.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
pH had it right the first time.
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
And it was going to cost sixty bucks just for that.![[Wall Bash]](graemlins/wallbash.gif)
![[Confused]](confused.gif)
![[Angst]](graemlins/angst.gif)