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Pictures missing from folder

Discussion in 'Windows XP' started by Trisha, 2009/01/29.

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  1. 2009/01/29
    Trisha

    Trisha Inactive Thread Starter

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    Recently I noticed that my folders for Pictures & Music were missing from my start menu, (I had photos from digi camera stored in my pictures folder which I had not got copies of!) have managed with help of Microsoft Windows FAQ to restore the folders but my photos are missing! Tried searching files etc but no luck, can anyone out there more technically minded than me suggest ideas to try?
     
    Trisha,
    #1
  2. 2009/01/29
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Trisha

    The Introductions forum is strictly for 'Hello's' - it is not indexed for search purposes. Please start a new thread in the appropriate forum and outline your problem there ....

    User Guide

    I have moved your thread to the XP forum. If you are using another OS please let us know.
     
    PeteC,
    #2


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  4. 2009/01/29
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    I appreciate that you have already searched the drive(s), but please repeat the search using AgentRansack (freeware) - a more powerful Search engine than Windows.

    I suggest you look for *.jpg.
     
    PeteC,
    #3
  5. 2009/01/29
    Trisha

    Trisha Inactive Thread Starter

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    Thanks Pete C for your prompt reply, have found JPEG Images as you suggested in C:/Docs & settings and Program Files/Pixela presume latter are the photos I can see on folder in my pictures. As a purely non technophobic how can I open or see if any of these images are what I am looking for?
     
    Trisha,
    #4
  6. 2009/01/29
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    In Windows Explorer click on Views in the icon bar at the top of the window and select Thumbnails' or double click on a jpg file and it should open in Windows Picture & Fax Virwer - unless other software installed has taken over that function.
     
    PeteC,
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  7. 2009/01/30
    Trisha

    Trisha Inactive Thread Starter

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    Thanks again, still no luck on the missing pics I have remembered that I had created them in a folder within My Pictures should they still appear as JPEG in a search? (sorry by the way for posting my initial thread in the Introduction forum!)
     
    Trisha,
    #6
  8. 2009/01/30
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Let's make a small change to your system first ....

    By default the file extensions for known file types are hidden ....

    In Windows Explorer - Tools > Folder Options > View and uncheck 'Hide extensions for all known file types' and OK out.

    Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\Your username\My Documents\My Pictures\The folder you created. Are your pictures there ?
     
    PeteC,
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  9. 2009/01/30
    Trisha

    Trisha Inactive Thread Starter

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    I have gone into Tools on Explorer but do not have a Folder Option? (only pop up blocker, phishing filter, manage add ons etc)
     
    Trisha,
    #8
  10. 2009/01/30
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    You need to look in Windows Explorer/My Computer and not Internet Explorer.
     
    Steve R Jones,
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  11. 2009/01/30
    Trisha

    Trisha Inactive Thread Starter

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    Sorry Steve I must be a real thicky! can you tell me where/how I get into Windows Explorer? I probably know it as something else?
     
    Trisha,
    #10
  12. 2009/01/30
    goddez1

    goddez1 Inactive

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    Howdy, maybe this will help.

    See:
    To make sure you have the ability to view hidden files by adjusting preference options in....
    1>Click on My Computer icon or right click startbutton and choose "explore ".
    2>click on menu toolbar> "tools"
    3>click on "Folder options "
    4>click on "View" Tab:
    5>and scroll to the [Hidden Files and Folders] section and enable or disable the options below by unchecking or checking as designated:
    "Do Not show hidden files "=unchecked (or click the "show hidden files ")
    "hide file extensions for known files "=unchecked
    "hide protected system folders "=unchecked (optional, users choice)
     
    Last edited: 2009/01/30
    goddez1,
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  13. 2009/01/30
    Trisha

    Trisha Inactive Thread Starter

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    Hi guys and girls, thanks so much for the clear message, success! have found the links OK and have several folders showing but not a file showing C:/Docs and setting etc? does this mean all is lost!?

    Trisha
     
    Trisha,
    #12
  14. 2009/01/30
    goddez1

    goddez1 Inactive

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    Hi Trisha,

    Now that your view settings have been adjusted, please refer back up to Pete's past thread #3.

    Since you can't find the files where you expected them to be, due to any number of possibilities you need to search for them.

    Open agent ransack and make sure the "search in subfolders" box is checked.

    Make sure the appropriate drive letter is designated in "look in" field (for example mine is C:\)

    In the "file name" field Type *.jpg and click "start search "

    Once the search is done, all jpg found in drive letter chosen will be displayed. How you proceed with finding out if the files you seek are among them is up to you. The below is merely a suggestion on how to further simplify your task:

    Once search is done you may wish to sort by "location ". Right click on a jpg and select open with "picture and fax viewer ". This will allow you to page through the all jpgs in that folder in that location, using "picture and fax" arrows.

    I think you'll be looking for a folder with a lot of generic named jpg files, probably with a lot of numbers. I'd try those first. Once you determine if and where they are. Steps can be taken to copy or move them to another place, should you wish to.
     
    Last edited: 2009/01/30
    goddez1,
    #13
  15. 2009/02/02
    Trisha

    Trisha Inactive Thread Starter

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    Thanks for all your help, I have viewed all the jpeg images that have come up in various folders (including hidden folders) but unfortunately have not found the ones that I am missing, are there any other suggestions? presume that they are in my computer somewhere?
     
    Trisha,
    #14
  16. 2009/02/02
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Trisha

    I have to say that the omens are not good, but I am at a loss to understand how they have become apparently deleted - your search for *.jpg should have thrown them up.

    Two thoughts - we have been harping on about jpegs - a long shot, but have you been shooting RAW files? The file extensions will differ depending on the make of the camera. Post the make and model, please.

    Second thought - if indeed you were shooting jpegs, the most likely scenario unless you are somewhat advanced in these matters and appreciate the benefits of RAW, use this software to search for and maybe recover jpegs from your hard drive.....

    PC Inspector File Recovery

    PC Inspector Smart Recovery
     
    PeteC,
    #15
  17. 2009/02/02
    Trisha

    Trisha Inactive Thread Starter

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    Thanks Pete C, my digi camera is a Fuji Finepix F10 and I don't know what RAW files are! As I have mentioned I had put the pics in a folder within My Pictures folder! and I am not sure when I lost the My Pics and My Music from the start menu which is when all of this started!
     
    Trisha,
    #16
  18. 2009/02/02
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    The Fuji only shoots jpegs so forget about RAW files - as I posted - a longshot, but now we know better :)

    Run the file recovery software (freeware) I posted and see what comes up.
     
    PeteC,
    #17
  19. 2009/02/02
    Trisha

    Trisha Inactive Thread Starter

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    Thanks Pete, now running smart recovery as you suggested - will keep you posted!
     
    Trisha,
    #18
  20. 2009/02/03
    Trisha

    Trisha Inactive Thread Starter

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    Hi Pete C, have run software you gave me details of, have now got loads of pics which have been found! searched through them all and have found the ones missing hooray!
    Couple of things I noticed though, 1) message came up at first whem starting recovery - "The media is damaged too badly to use the fast mode" had to use intensive mode which did take an age- what did this mean? 2) some of the pics when I double clicked came up with either:- No preview available, drawing failed, or I got complete grey screen or pics with bottom half as grey! Can you tell me what this means?
     
    Trisha,
    #19
  21. 2009/02/03
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Trisha

    That's great news :)

    The fact that the file recovery software has found a rook of your pictures indicates to me that they were deleted - somehow.

    When a file is deleted the reference to the file location and the file name is removed from Windows file system, but the actual file remains on the hard drive with the space it occupies flagged as rewritable by Windows. If the deleted file is not overwritten it is recoverable totally or in part. If the deleted files are sensitive simple deletion is totally insecure as there is a chance that they can be recovered by others - Sensitive files should be wiped or shredded using specialist software which basically overwrites the areas in which the files are located on the drive with random data - several times for greatest security. There are Government and MOD standards for this sort of thing.

    When a file is written to the hard drive Windows looks in the file system (NTFS, FAT32 ...) for available space and starts to write the file to the first available space (sector) - if that is too small writing is continued on the next available space and so on. Thus the file is not necessarily contiguous - in one piece, but spread around the drive. Defragmenting the drive resolves the situation - puts all the segments of the individual files together, but as soon as new files are written these will be fragmented - it is an ongoing situation - not one of great concern as XP copes with fragmented files far better than it's predecessors.

    When a file or files are deleted the chances of recovering them decrease rapidly with time as the spaces occupied by the deleted files are overwritten by new files.
    The image files are not complete - parts of them have been overwritten as outlined above - that lost data is irrecoverable by normal means.
    I suspect this refers to the fact that some files had already been partially overwritten and required 'intensive care' to recover where possible.

    Please do yourself a big favour by immediately backing up your images - and other personal data to an external drive or DVD/CD. It is really important to maintain a current backup of everything which is precious to you, is irreplaceable, etc - these problems do happen. Without being alarmist your hard drive could die tomorrow.
     
    PeteC,
    #20
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