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recover file from hard disc
02GF74 - 26/4/10 at 01:32 PM

arrgghhh ... I inadvertently edited a file (windows XP) then saved it losing lots of my file.

anyone know of a free program that can search the hard disc for some text then read sector so I can piece together my file?

I did not delete the file so undelete utilities will not work.


or you know of another way?
thanks

vinny1275 - 26/4/10 at 01:46 PM

If it was Word or Excel, you might be able to recover the temp file with the old content in... Search for file names including ~ to see what's there - you'll need to open each one though.

Good luck!

Vince

02GF74 - 26/4/10 at 01:54 PM

no tmp files.

managed to find a sector viewer .... but next step is to figure out what sector a file or directory occupies so I could look round that area, assumes that the sectors will be close together but they probably are not.

a search utility would be better.

tomprescott - 26/4/10 at 02:22 PM

recuva?

Airhead - 26/4/10 at 03:41 PM

The problem that you will have is having saved the file you will probably have overwritten the data with new - the system won't issue a new location in the FAT unless you rename or relocate the file and then only sometimes.

Going for an old version or as previously mentioned temporary version is the only hope.

McLannahan - 26/4/10 at 04:28 PM

quote:
Originally posted by tomprescott
recuva?


+1 for Recuva (http://www.piriform.com/recuva)

Really good bit of software.

02GF74 - 26/4/10 at 05:52 PM

thx for replies sor far but those tools, as well as a lot of others, deal with deleted files.

I did not delete my file but edited it - the edit resulted in losing a vast chunk of the file.

I have an idea of what text was in the file so am looking for a utility that can search for text on the hard disc giving me sector location.

I have a sectorr reading utility - just need to know where to read.

RichardK - 26/4/10 at 06:29 PM

Are you using vista or 7? my be worth right clicking on the file and choosing properties and seeing if you have a previous version tab, you might be lucky! XP did have the ability but think it was a custom update.

Cheeers

Rich

McLannahan - 26/4/10 at 06:37 PM

quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
thx for replies sor far but those tools, as well as a lot of others, deal with deleted files.

I did not delete my file but edited it - the edit resulted in losing a vast chunk of the file.

I have an idea of what text was in the file so am looking for a utility that can search for text on the hard disc giving me sector location.

I have a sectorr reading utility - just need to know where to read.


Recuva deals with over-written files too - used it just last week for exactly this job. Recovered a file edited in Word and then USB removed and tmp files then over-written. Original file restored and then repaired and all back to square one.