Computer question

[tillergirl]

Thanks BA. I am trying that. It's going to take a little while to search through all of the colours methodically!

 

[Marmalade]

not a windows user but just a thought - has the recovery created another user and stored your data in a folder only visible to that user?

 

[tillergirl]

Well maybe. Except that I 'appear' to be the only user. I've try BA's suggestion and that only maps about 165GB of the 300GB.

 

[PaulGooch]

According to Packard Bell : "If you chose to keep files from user accounts you may find them in HDD (C > backup (if a backup folder was already present, then a new backup folder will include a number, e.g backup-000 )."

So, the backup folder you see is where everything should be. If you cannot open the folder, you might need to make sure you are logged on as administrator. Or, use Linux as previously suggested. If you have a USB pendrive, install Linux onto it and run it from the pendrive.

1) Make a new folder on your C drive "MyStuff" (or whatever)
2) Install Linux on the pendrive
3) Reboot and hit F12 when prompted to enter the boot menu
4) Select the boot from USB option
5) Once into Linux, copy the contents of the "backup" folder to the "MyStuff" folder
6) Reboot to Windows

USB installer is here : http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/

I've used the netbook version from here : http://www.canonical.com/about-ubuntu

It's possible (likely) that some of the "missing" space you are seeing is a hidden partition, used by Packard Bell for some recovery files. But whatever is on the C partition will be viewable using Linux.

 

[tillergirl]

Paul

Thanks. I'll have a go when I return from the boat

 

[tillergirl]

Thanks everybody. I Have all the data back. Still a bit of work to clean up the drive but that will get done over the week-end.

Super help. Thanks.

 

[BAtoo]

What worked in the end??

 

[tillergirl]

I booted Ubuntu from a USB. It revealed the Backup and the Documents and Settings folders. The Backup was complete at the time of the orginal crash. The documents and settings folder is a bit of a mystery as it was dated June 2009 and 'not quite complete'. I suspect it may have been copied over when I mated some files from my laptop on my Home Network.

Copied the Backup to a new folder on my D Drive and then having checked it was there, I have deleted the Backup and the Docs and Settings on the C drive to get rid of the bloat. I have then updated my User files on the C drive so I have an identical set of all of them on both the C and D drives. For this weekend I shall use the D drive as the backup and next week get an external drive and probably also use the Cloud Drive that my web hosting service provide (One.com). That offers instant sync as you save files to your hard drive. I quite like the ability to access the Cloud drive (and therefore all my User files) when abroad. It raises the possibility of being able to update the NtM service when I am in exotic places which I may well be for a fair bit of Feb and March.

 

[Jomo]

It raises the possibility of being able to update the NtM service when I am in exotic places which I may well be for a fair bit of Feb and March.

Git

 

[tillergirl]

Yeah, but no but, yeah, I'll be working... sailing vouchers old boy, sailing vouchers.....