Check disk deleted my files

[The Stinger]

Don't know what the crap happened, but I noticed an error on my Secondary hard drive saying stuff was corrupt. So I rebooted hoping it would solve my issue, then the Scan Disk program started to run, after it was done...All of my files, & folders are gone. I am running a restore program now, but is there a simpler way? And can anyone tell me why this would have happened? And how to stop it from happening in the future?

[redwudz]

I can only guess that Scandisk found that the files were totally unreadable and corrupt and got rid of them.

When you recover them, I guess you will find out.

More important is how they got corrupted in the first place. You might want to run some diagnostics on that drive. And back up what good files remain. Also check for trojans, spyware, viruses.

[ntscuser]

Don't know what the crap happened, but I noticed an error on my Secondary hard drive saying stuff was corrupt. So I rebooted hoping it would solve my issue, then the Scan Disk program started to run, after it was done...All of my files, & folders are gone. I am running a restore program now, but is there a simpler way? And can anyone tell me why this would have happened? And how to stop it from happening in the future?

Yours is the second case I have read of in the last few days. In the other instance the guy's files were all renamed with a file extension which made them useless in any kind of media player. I suspect some kind of malware uploaded by someone with a vested interest in corrupting copies of media files. No names, no packdrill.

Beware of pop-up messages from third parties masquerading as messages from your operating system asking you to click somewhere on a box in order to correct a problem. Use Task Manager to remove the messages or even if necessary reboot your machine rather than click anywhere on one of the boxes. Clicking anywhere on the box (even "no" or "X") could trigger an irreversible process of corruption.

[The Stinger]

Thanks for the reply guys. Not sure how this would have happened. Checked for spyware and viruses and no go. Another odd thing is when trying to restore the files the program will freeze up after 3 hrs or so, and stop scanning. Wondering if the hard drive is faulty?

[redwudz]

It could be a drive problem. As I mentioned, back up everything you want to save and run some diagnostic programs. You can find some with a Google search for 'hard drive tests', or go to the hard drive manufacturers site and see what they have.

I usually activate SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) for my drives in BIOS if it's available. It often gives you a warning before a drive completely fails.

[The Stinger]

Ok, so for the past 3 days I have been running a restore software. In fact it is still running. But what is it scanning? I can no longer see the drive in my devices. It's gone, as in not there, as in no longer exists or that it ever existed. So my question to you intelligent people is...Do I let it finish the scan or do I stop it? It found like 8 zip files after the first hour of the scan but has not found a thing since.....?

[ntscuser]

Ok, so for the past 3 days I have been running a restore software. In fact it is still running. But what is it scanning? I can no longer see the drive in my devices. It's gone, as in not there, as in no longer exists or that it ever existed. So my question to you intelligent people is...Do I let it finish the scan or do I stop it? It found like 8 zip files after the first hour of the scan but has not found a thing since.....?

Reinstall your secondary drive but don't yet - at this point - reformat it.

[MackemX]

http://www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/uk/welcome.htm

this is a great and fast file recovery program and it's free

you may want to get a drive testing program from the manufacturer of the drive and do a test on it. If it's OK then it's probably a virus but if it isn't OK then your drive is dying so grab what you can

[jollyjohn]

Access Data FTK Imager + Forensics Toolkit must be the best. Not cheap thou. It's said it's used by US Gvmt. Agencies like CIA and FBI. I don't know and don't want to know.
John[/b]

[The Stinger]

Update....First of all thanks to all of you for letting me picking your brains on this.

The latest is, was able to pull pictures from drive, it turns out the hard drive is fine, but it looks like the partition table was either deleted or corrupt? Have any of you ever heard of this happening? Not sure I know how it's possible, but after doing a lot of research I guess it is possible. Anyway, again thanks for the help. I have now formated the drive and it is now working again.

[The Stinger]

Update....First of all thanks to all of you for letting me pick your brains on this.

The latest is, was able to pull pictures from drive, it turns out the hard drive is fine, but it looks like the partition table was either deleted or corrupt? Have any of you ever heard of this happening? Not sure I know how it's possible, but after doing a lot of research I guess it is possible. Anyway, again thanks for the help. I have now formated the drive and it is now working again.