recover deleted profile from xp

[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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[Frank Wallis]

Did you try system restore?

[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.

[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...

[chizy2]

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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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 !

[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!

[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.

[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

[ecctao]

may admin can help!
send a mail to admin

[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.