Member Avatar for thomasjob1

my friend accedently deleted her profile in xp..now all her mails & datas are missing.Can someone help me to recover those datas for her..
thomas

  • 8 Contributors
  • 17 Replies
  • 374 Views
  • 1 Week Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by chizy2

Dani AI

Generated

Brief expert summary and a safe checklist to follow after a deleted XP profile was reported by : recovery is often possible if the disk sectors holding the profile data (documents and mail store files) have not been overwritten. Immediate, careful action raises the chance of getting mail and documents back; careless use of the same Windows installation reduces it.

Immediate steps (safe-first approach)

  • Stop normal use of the PC so no more data is written to the disk (as warned).
  • If access to another working PC is available, attach the affected drive as a secondary or boot the affected machine from a read‑only live USB/CD and inspect the drive without installing anything to it.
  • Enable viewing of hidden and system files and check for any remaining profile folder at:
    • C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\My Documents\
    • C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Application Data\

Where mail usually lives (targets for recovery)

  • Outlook Express (XP): look under Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\<GUID>\Microsoft\Outlook Express\ for Inbox.dbx, Sent Items.dbx, Folders.dbx, etc.
  • Microsoft Outlook (PST): common locations include Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\ or the user’s My Documents. Recovered .pst files can be opened from Outlook via File → Open → Outlook Data File.
  • Other clients (Windows Live Mail, Thunderbird) store profiles under Application Data/Local Settings\Application Data — check for those folders too.

If the profile folder is missing

  • Create a sector image of the drive first (avoids further risk) and run recovery tools against the image rather than the live disk. Use file‑carving and undelete tools that can search for .dbx, .pst and common document types (examples: PhotoRec/TestDisk, Recuva, R‑Studio), run from another machine or boot media. Search results should try to recover complete .dbx/.pst files first (these map back to mail folders). After recovery, copy recovered files into a new test Windows profile (back up any existing files first) so mail clients can pick them up without overwriting current data.

Notes and next steps

  • System Restore does not reliably restore personal mail/documents; it targets system files and registry. If recovered mail files are corrupted, DBX/PST repair or conversion utilities exist but may be hit-or-miss. For critically important data, a professional data‑recovery service is the safest option.

Recommended Answers

All 17 Replies

Member Avatar for Thinka

I may be wrong, but I don't believe that this is possible mate, depending on how it was deleted. If it was deleted through 'User Accounts' in the Control Panel, and the documents weren't shared or backed up on to a separate drive, then I think it might be gone forever. Particularly if data has been written to the drive since the deletion occurred.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Member Avatar for Frank Wallis

my friend accedently deleted her profile in xp..now all her mails & datas are missing.Can someone help me to recover those datas for her..
thomas

It is always useful to keep a backup of the personal user profile of a user in a different location in the Hard Drive . If the computer is used in a network environment then it is always better to copy the user profile to Server.

This user profile could be recovered by using System Restore.

Go to Start---->All Programs----->Accessories----->System Tools-----> System Restore.

You can also create your own restore point or use the by default system restore option.

Try this system restore and then let us know.

Member Avatar for thomasjob1

thank you mate.I also think so.And when I tried through recover software still its not possible
thomas

I may be wrong, but I don't believe that this is possible mate, depending on how it was deleted. If it was deleted through 'User Accounts' in the Control Panel, and the documents weren't shared or backed up on to a separate drive, then I think it might be gone forever. Particularly if data has been written to the drive since the deletion occurred.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Member Avatar for Frank Wallis

Did you try system restore?

Member Avatar for Thinka

I don't believe System Restore can help. Because basically System Restore has to do with system state settings, reg keys, etc, and does not undo user tasks like the creation of deletion of documents. In the same way that if you did a System Restore to a point two days ago it wouldn't remove a word document (for instance) that didn't exist then, it cannot add something that was already deleted in present time. As far as I understand the only reason that System Restore can 'undo' the installation of some software, is that software being installed means that your Control Set Reg Keys have been altered, library files have been added, and so on. These types of files are within the jurisdiction of System Restore, because it has been monitoring them since the computer was put together. However user activity such as the creation and deletion of files and documents, are totally left to the user and the OS has no command over it in that sense. Which is a good thing I feel.

commented: Good catch on the system restore +4
Member Avatar for gerbil

Actual files should still be recoverable, unless overwritten. Did you try recovery software? Some will even restore the profile itself.... but for files you could try REST2514.exe. Dl it with another sys and run it from a floppy or thumbdrive, it does not install so no risk of overwriting there.
I do not know if it can recover email .dbx files such as for OE...

Member Avatar for chizy2

This is the reason you should have data backups even at home.

commented: Great advice mate, users need to learn that +4
Member Avatar for Thinka

Good shout Chizy, that's been my practice. People don't realise the importance sadly until something goes wrong.

Do you know about application backups though, I mean if your hard drive gets wiped by a virus, even if your documents are backed up elsewhere, what about your programs (which no doubt would have accumulated depending on how long you've had the computer for)? It is tedious to have to reinstall it one after the other.

Member Avatar for chizy2

I would say that only 1 in about 10,000 home users actually back up their data. At least that is how it seems to me.

Member Avatar for Frank Wallis

The data could also be backed up on a seperate hard drive in the computer which
could only be used for backup purposes.

Member Avatar for Thinka

But for bigger disasters - MoBo failure, fire, deadly virus, worm, a separate hard drive in the same computer will be as useful as dental floss in a beer-drinking contest.

Member Avatar for caperjack

But for bigger disasters - MoBo failure, fire, deadly virus, worm, a separate hard drive in the same computer will be as useful as dental floss in a beer-drinking contest.

lol, reminds me of the office fire that destroyed the computer and the secretary purse,no problem with lost data said the secretary i make backups to floppies everyday ,where are they said the boss ,answer was ! in my purse !

Member Avatar for Thinka

lol, reminds me of the office fire that destroyed the computer and the secretary purse,no problem with lost data said the secretary i make backups to floppies everyday ,where are they said the boss ,answer was ! in my purse !

Lol, that's jokes, u know u shuldn't laugh (at other's misfortunes), but u can't help it!

Member Avatar for gerbil

Yeah.. it's all relative to the security you desire. RAID1 is just great, lessn someone nicks the whole box, or lightning stikes [it does]. External USB drive, plugged in just for backups, otherwise kept in a fireproof, concrete lined, dropsafe under the office floor.
Sure.

Member Avatar for Quadar

After deleting a profile in Windows XP / 2000 the only way to recover the files is by use of a undelete software, that will need to purchased or maybe gotten seperatly. I don't know of any free software that works well with NTFS. I have used with great success a program called EASUS http://www.easeus.com/

But it might be to late already. The more things that have been written to the Hard Drive since the files were deleted, the greater the chances are they are overwritten, and can never be recovered. In fact if you have performed such a thing as Defrag, it is probably impossible to recover anything at this point. System Restore may have caused the same problem.

The key is, once you realize important files have been deleted, turn off the computer right away. Take the Hard Disk out and install it as a secondary drive in another computer that runs XP or whatever already. Then install the undelete software on this computer, and try to recover the files.

Of course as many people have previously stated, backups are a good idea. And unfortuantly I don't think Windows XP or 2000 come with good backup software installled..
I could be wrong :P

Member Avatar for ecctao

may admin can help!
send a mail to admin

Member Avatar for chizy2

may admin can help!
send a mail to admin

What will the admin be able to do that we have not already suggested? Wave a wand and the data will appear??

My policy is to backup to CD's or DVD's. I use nero and the software that comes with it, you could use Ghost, or Drive Image, or any number of CD burning software. It depends on what you are comfortable with using. I have 2 hard drives in my system, the C drive I do not back up, as that is just the windows software and the patches that you pull down, along with office and other standard software. All my data is on the second hard drive, and that is the drive that I back up as often as I need to. Sometimes once a week, sometimes more, depends on how much my files change.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.