Hello & Help, please

This is a great site and I've visited for years without ever having to actually post. I have to utilize system restore (no choice, I've run through all other options and this is the only route available to me), erasing all personal files. And no, I don't have a back-up of my files. Argh. Anyway, what I need to know BEFORE I run system restore is if there is a way to recover my personal files. I have Vista (argh, again) and my understanding is that recovering deleted files works different. Or is it when you run system restore, the personal files are overwritten and are completely unrecoverable?

My laptop is a Compac Presario C700.

Any assistance or advice is appreciated. Thank you!

 

Thanks for moving my post to the correct location! My apologies, I worded my inquiry incorrectly. What I need to do is System Recovery, not restore. I tried restoring, but the message I get is that there is no earlier restore point, so, somehow these were wiped out. Don't know how that happened. I've restored before, this is the first time I've ever had to recover with the disks and the first thing it told me is that this process will wipe out all files on my laptop. Please, is there anyway for me to save these files? I appreciate your time. Thanks!

 

You could boot an Ububtu live CD http://www.ubuntu.com/ or pretty much any other live OS-CD, and then transfer any files you have onto a USB or another HDD if available

edit: although ther is ways to do a repair install and keep your data if you have got a proper XP install disc?
take a look here --> READ ALL THE WARNINGS! http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

 

If you were to fully explain your current predicament, and why you think that you need to perform a "System Recovery to Factory Condition", perhaps we could suggest a more appropriate alternative, if one exists.

Do not start the "System Recovery ... " if you wish to save your personal data from the current system. There are many ways to retrieve your data, and the method that you use depends on which is most convenient for you, with the equipment that you have at hand. The method already suggested by Q is a good one, but there are others if this proves to be a problem.

Please do not hesitate to ask further advice.

Edit: By coincidence, it so happens that I have just completed a "System Recovery to Factory Condition" on a C700, and it is still sitting here on my desk.

 

Ubunto sounds like a good option. I created the disk and was able to use it on my laptop; however, I really don't know where to go from here. If I load it, I wipe my files. Sorry, I've never done anything like this...how do I boot with Ubunto and access my personal files in order that I can copy to my flash drive? Again, your assistance is appreciated. Thanks!

 

Hi wynterdale, if you have the ubunu CD ready just pop it into your PC and reboot....

You will then see a few options, one of them says "try ubuntu without any changes to your computer" [or very similar]

Just use that option and no changes will be made and no data will be lost from your HDD.

Then once it boots at the very top left side of the desktop you will see an option called "places" [see pic']
http://www.ubuntu.com/products/whatisubuntu/804features/images/features/screens/home/1.jpg

open that and you should see all your drives listed, you will then need a USB device or a second HDD to transfer files to.

Q

 

Thanks Q.

I did what you suggested the first time (last Saturday) and I thought I had missed something. My drives were listed but nothing was on them. I did it again just now and the drives didn't even show up. Apparently my problem is much more serious than I first realised. Ok, here are the messages I get when I try to restore through Windows:

LoadKey failed with error 1392(STHIVE#0)

Restore7.exe
The instruction at 0x743705ef at 0x00000114. The memory could not be read.

Restore system files and settings: No restore points have been created on your computer's system disk.


I tried loading drivers, System32 file is empty.

Is this what I think it is and everything has been wiped off my hard drive? Yikes. Help please, oh and thanks.

 

Hmm, thats not good

What type of data is it you want to recover? ..... pic's, vid's, text, etc?

 

Yes to all!

 

Ok try this .... http://www.ntfs.com/boot-disk.htm

 

Thanks Q, just trying this out now I'll let you know how I get on