Re: deleted file problem!

On Wed, 1 Apr 2009 22:48:21 +0100, lenny109 wrote:

> Hi,
> I have deleted a file from my docs, then emptied the recycling bin, then
> deleted loads more stuff and again emptied the recycling bin. Suddenly there
> was a Word document that didn't want deleting. I have found it again using
> Recuva but it tells me that it isn't recoverable as the file has been
> written over. Is there anyway of recovering a file that has been deleted and
> that space written over again but the file name is still available during a
> search using recovery tools?

No.

Unless you're the NSA and can disassemble the drive and use magnetic scans
to find the remnants of the overwitten bits, one bit at a time.

There are also commercial services that might do this, but you'd have to
send them the drive and lots of money.

--
Gene E. Bloch letters0x40blochg0x2Ecom

If Jack Bauer needed that file, I'll bet Chloe O'Brian could get it back.

"Gene E. Bloch" wrote:

> On Wed, 1 Apr 2009 22:48:21 +0100, lenny109 wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> > I have deleted a file from my docs, then emptied the recycling bin, then
> > deleted loads more stuff and again emptied the recycling bin. Suddenly there
> > was a Word document that didn't want deleting. I have found it again using
> > Recuva but it tells me that it isn't recoverable as the file has been
> > written over. Is there anyway of recovering a file that has been deleted and
> > that space written over again but the file name is still available during a
> > search using recovery tools?
>
> No.
>
> Unless you're the NSA and can disassemble the drive and use magnetic scans
> to find the remnants of the overwitten bits, one bit at a time.
>
> There are also commercial services that might do this, but you'd have to
> send them the drive and lots of money.
>
> --
> Gene E. Bloch letters0x40blochg0x2Ecom
>

Yeah, send it to CTU. Wait... CTU no longer exists. Might be tough to find
Chloe. Janis may be able to help you recover the file.

"lenny109" <> wrote in message
news:...
>I expect she could get it back whilst he waits on the phone. Maybe I will
>sent them the drive?
>
> "Idaho Word Man" <> wrote in message
> news:E79BF109-D3ED-47A5-AC1C-...
>> If Jack Bauer needed that file, I'll bet Chloe O'Brian could get it back.
>>
>> "Gene E. Bloch" wrote:
>>
>>> On Wed, 1 Apr 2009 22:48:21 +0100, lenny109 wrote:
>>>
>>> > Hi,
>>> > I have deleted a file from my docs, then emptied the recycling bin,
>>> > then
>>> > deleted loads more stuff and again emptied the recycling bin. Suddenly
>>> > there
>>> > was a Word document that didn't want deleting. I have found it again
>>> > using
>>> > Recuva but it tells me that it isn't recoverable as the file has been
>>> > written over. Is there anyway of recovering a file that has been
>>> > deleted and
>>> > that space written over again but the file name is still available
>>> > during a
>>> > search using recovery tools?
>>>
>>> No.
>>>
>>> Unless you're the NSA and can disassemble the drive and use magnetic
>>> scans
>>> to find the remnants of the overwitten bits, one bit at a time.
>>>
>>> There are also commercial services that might do this, but you'd have to
>>> send them the drive and lots of money.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Gene E. Bloch letters0x40blochg0x2Ecom
>>>
>
>

Even with lots of money, there's no guarantee that they'll be able to
recover the deleted file. Been there done that and lost $100, IIRC, paid in
advance so they can start inspecting my crashed HD. The result is they
couldn't read the drive.

"Gene E. Bloch" <not-> wrote in message
news:xo4p559765gg$.19dlpssz0f33w$... .
> No.
>
> Unless you're the NSA and can disassemble the drive and use magnetic scans
> to find the remnants of the overwitten bits, one bit at a time.
>
> There are also commercial services that might do this, but you'd have to
> send them the drive and lots of money.

Yes. I think I could have stopped after the first word of my reply, but I
wanted to tell the OP why I said it, rather than just being overly terse.

Re the "24" comments - some forensic labs have apparently been complaining
that people who watch some of these shows have come to expect real labs to
perform forensic miracles...and get PO'd at what happens (or doesn't
happen!) in real life.

On Wed, 1 Apr 2009 15:43:45 -0700, John wrote:

> Even with lots of money, there's no guarantee that they'll be able to
> recover the deleted file. Been there done that and lost $100, IIRC, paid in
> advance so they can start inspecting my crashed HD. The result is they
> couldn't read the drive.
>
> "Gene E. Bloch" <not-> wrote in message
> news:xo4p559765gg$.19dlpssz0f33w$... .
>> No.
>>
>> Unless you're the NSA and can disassemble the drive and use magnetic scans
>> to find the remnants of the overwitten bits, one bit at a time.
>>
>> There are also commercial services that might do this, but you'd have to
>> send them the drive and lots of money.


--
Gene E. Bloch letters0x40blochg0x2Ecom

In my case, I lost that $100 before 24 became my favorite show. Therefore I
wasn't PO'd at the disappointed result. In addition, it wasn't my $100 (it's
a company HD).

I just think that this recovery service is an easy business. It's so easy to
take $100 without any type of guarantee that they'll give us something in
return. Well, they did give us something back... our dead HD :-)

"Gene E. Bloch" <not-> wrote in message
news:1syf63hrpzwhi$... .
> Yes. I think I could have stopped after the first word of my reply, but I
> wanted to tell the OP why I said it, rather than just being overly terse.
>
> Re the "24" comments - some forensic labs have apparently been complaining
> that people who watch some of these shows have come to expect real labs to
> perform forensic miracles...and get PO'd at what happens (or doesn't
> happen!) in real life.
>
> On Wed, 1 Apr 2009 15:43:45 -0700, John wrote:
>
>> Even with lots of money, there's no guarantee that they'll be able to
>> recover the deleted file. Been there done that and lost $100, IIRC, paid
>> in
>> advance so they can start inspecting my crashed HD. The result is they
>> couldn't read the drive.
>>
>> "Gene E. Bloch" <not-> wrote in message
>> news:xo4p559765gg$.19dlpssz0f33w$... .
>>> No.
>>>
>>> Unless you're the NSA and can disassemble the drive and use magnetic
>>> scans
>>> to find the remnants of the overwitten bits, one bit at a time.
>>>
>>> There are also commercial services that might do this, but you'd have to
>>> send them the drive and lots of money.
>
>
> --
> Gene E. Bloch letters0x40blochg0x2Ecom

On Wed, 1 Apr 2009 16:53:59 -0700, John wrote:

> In my case, I lost that $100 before 24 became my favorite show. Therefore I
> wasn't PO'd at the disappointed result. In addition, it wasn't my $100 (it's
> a company HD).
>
> I just think that this recovery service is an easy business. It's so easy to
> take $100 without any type of guarantee that they'll give us something in
> return. Well, they did give us something back... our dead HD :-)

<SNIP>

I'm actually surprised that it was only $100, but at the same time I'm
jealous of their business model :-)

To get back to the subject of the main thread (why bother, you might ask).

I recently lost a file (same thing, it was overwritten before I sicced
Recuva on it). I've been in the habit of doing Shift-Delete, but sometimes
in Vista I've discovered that what was selected wasn't I thought was
selected. I haven't yet figured out how I do that :-(

For the first time in lotsa years, I'm deleting to the Recycle Bin :-)

--
Gene E. Bloch letters0x40blochg0x2Ecom

It won't work for files already deleted, but you can overcome all these
problems for the future by installing Undelete 2009 Professional -
http://www.undelete.com/undelete/undelete.aspx. It's a sort of intelligent
recycle bin. Like SnagIt it is one of those utilities that I cannot afford
to be without. It will even recover all those Word autorecovery files that
are automatically deleted when no longer required.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>


Gene E. Bloch wrote:
> On Wed, 1 Apr 2009 16:53:59 -0700, John wrote:
>
>> In my case, I lost that $100 before 24 became my favorite show.
>> Therefore I wasn't PO'd at the disappointed result. In addition, it
>> wasn't my $100 (it's a company HD).
>>
>> I just think that this recovery service is an easy business. It's so
>> easy to take $100 without any type of guarantee that they'll give us
>> something in return. Well, they did give us something back... our
>> dead HD :-)
>
> <SNIP>
>
> I'm actually surprised that it was only $100, but at the same time I'm
> jealous of their business model :-)
>
> To get back to the subject of the main thread (why bother, you might
> ask).
>
> I recently lost a file (same thing, it was overwritten before I sicced
> Recuva on it). I've been in the habit of doing Shift-Delete, but
> sometimes in Vista I've discovered that what was selected wasn't I
> thought was selected. I haven't yet figured out how I do that :-(
>
> For the first time in lotsa years, I'm deleting to the Recycle Bin :-)

On Thu, 2 Apr 2009 08:08:58 +0300, Graham Mayor wrote:

> It won't work for files already deleted, but you can overcome all these
> problems for the future by installing Undelete 2009 Professional -
> http://www.undelete.com/undelete/undelete.aspx. It's a sort of intelligent
> recycle bin. Like SnagIt it is one of those utilities that I cannot afford
> to be without. It will even recover all those Word autorecovery files that
> are automatically deleted when no longer required.

For me that's not a problem (I have been well in control of deletions,
*usually*), but it sounds like a great tool for many people. I'll link to
it, in case anyone I know asks the right question.

Of course, I might someday decide I need it :-)

--
Gene E. Bloch letters0x40blochg0x2Ecom