"techy" Help Please (file Reclamation On A Laptop)

[Laeotaekhun]

Hi all,

I'm hoping someone can help me with a problem I'm having.

I've, recently, reformated my laptop.

Prior to doing it, I used Windows Back up & Restore to copy all of my files (not programs) onto an external hard drive, to which (earlier) I had transferred all of my music and videos - I would point out that the hard drive (320GB) is partitioned into 50/50 segments and the back up was done to the "other" segment - not the one containing the transferred files but did include them.

When I tried to then restore them I was advised that no back up had been done on this computer.

Aha, I thought!

Windows does not recognise this computer because I've reformated it - so then I attempted to restore using the "advanced" tag, which allows a restore from another computer (I have Vista Business).

Still no joy, as Windows does not recognise the backed up files!

So, I contacted Microsoft who referred me to an article about Media Bin files and possibly having to reconstruct them, if they have become corrupted.

At that point I, mentally, switched off as I am TOTALLY none techy and attempted to find someone in Udon Thani who could be recommended to solve the problem for me, by posting on a local forum, as well as asking people that I know .

No joy!

I will, though, be coming to Bkk, at the end of November, and am hoping that someone can recommend an individual/company that they trust through personal experience who may be able to sort things out for me.

The files are, definitely, there (all 56GB) and I can see them individually but need to restore them as one operation.

Can anyone please point me in the right direction?

[eefoo]

Hi all,

I'm hoping someone can help me with a problem I'm having.

......

Can anyone please point me in the right direction?

Sure - the right direction is to ask in the computer forum. I would be more helpful if I could, but it is very hard to diagnose/repair computers over the net with someone who admits to being a non-techy. Find someone in the computer forum who is near you in Udon now, or will be in BKK when you get there. Good luck.

Edit to add- PS. The excessive, use, of commas, really makes it hard, to read

Edited November 2, 2008 by eefoo

[ubonjoe]

If you have the files and/or directories on your external hard drive just do a copy or move to the folders on your computers hard drive that you want them in.

Using the control key you can do as many as want at one time without having to do them individually.

Click the first file or directory to turn it blue and then hold down the control key and click the next one or move the mouse pointer down the list while holding down the control key and this will start turning them blue as you go down the list you want to copy or move. Then do a right click and select copy or move.

[Laeotaekhun]

If you have the files and/or directories on your external hard drive just do a copy or move to the folders on your computers hard drive that you want them in.

Using the control key you can do as many as want at one time without having to do them individually.

Click the first file or directory to turn it blue and then hold down the control key and click the next one or move the mouse pointer down the list while holding down the control key and this will start turning them blue as you go down the list you want to copy or move. Then do a right click and select copy or move.

I should have said that the files are there in the way that Windows saves them when it "backs up", which is not in the same form as when they are normally filed - They seem to be in bits and pieces which need putting back together again.

What I am hoping is that someone can recommend an individual or company that can do that, as a business transaction.

There has to be a competent computer engineer in Bkk!

Edited November 3, 2008 by Laeotaekhun

[Simmo]

Try this program here.

http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows-vista...p-software.html

The backup file format from the xp utiliity .bkf can't be restored by vista. Crazy huh.

[Laeotaekhun]

Try this program here.

http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows-vista...p-software.html

The backup file format from the xp utiliity .bkf can't be restored by vista. Crazy huh.

Cheers mate but my backup was created in Vista so the file extensions are already Vista file extensions (not XP) and when I spoke to Microsoft they reckoned that the Media Bin files had become corrupted and would, probably, need reconstructing.

What I am hoping to find here is a recommendation to a good computer company or individual engineer, in Bangkok, who would be able to do that for me.

[JetsetBkk]

Not able to help with your current problem BUT, after your problem is sorted out you should consider buying a second internal drive for your lap top and perform regular "system image" backups using something like "Acronis True Image" to the external drive.

Then, periodically (e.g. every three months), you can restore an image to the spare drive to prove that (1) the image is good, (2) the process of restoring works, and (3) the spare drive works.

You will also have a good working spare internal drive if any really bad should happen to the one you are using.

Best of luck getting your files back.