'windows xp, format reverted to prior state, help with recovering files!!'

robert v (68.224.89.74) -

ok so is this odd or just odd to me? about 3 months ago i reinstalled windows xp pro over the same version already installed due to some viruses and hoped to just format/erase everything and start anew. i did this succesfully and after 3 months of using the computer and aquiring new files (photos, music, videos, ect) yesterday something very strange happened. the computer became very unstable and locked up. i had to press the power down button on the tower and wait a few then restarted the cpu. well i have a password/profile on my login and after typing it in, it paused for a few and said something like (cannot locate/load your profile due to a possibilitys of reasons. you will be logged in on a temp account. you cannot save any info). i understand that i may have some corrupt login file but wait it gets weirder. i log in on the temp account and shut down and restart in safe mode. i create another admin account so i can use the computer since its not letting me into my old profile. (read to do this on microsofts page) well now i start up in this new profile and once windows fully loads i see the computer has all the files from prior to my earlier format!! they are back from the dead!! and the files i created since the format are gone!! like this machine reverted back to that state prior to me reinstalling windows!! so i paniced but decided to check the avaible space on C drive and hmm the amount of free spaced left and used reflects the recent data as still being somewhere on the hard drive!! but i cant find it anywhere. its only showing me the old data again prior to the format. its like the new data is there on the hard drive but hidden!! please someone help me with this. ive googled everything and checked on data recovery software and even bought one (recover my data??)product but it was 6 hours in and had only 2 percent done with lots of failure!! this sucks and seems like there should be a easy way to get the data off your hard drive even if windows wont show it to you!! and has anyone ever heard of hard drive reverting to a prior state and files that were thought to be deleted reappearing just like that??? strange!! any help, advice, links, ect is much obliged!! thanks for at least reading this!!

Comment #1 Martin from Kansas -

Why torture yourself with Windows when you can Linux, FreeBSD, etc?

Comment #2 rvanderveen (68.224.74.118) -

hmm no experience with those OS. i very open to great ideas though. any advice where a newbie could start out with these? thanks!

Comment #3 bill (71.228.17.103) -

How do you recover an original file that was opened

and saved with new data by accident?

Comment #4 martha valdez (207.69.139.137) -

my drive c: and other programs turned blue and i also get error mess: drive not found.i don't know how to recover it . i also get microsoft virtualc+ runtime error messages

please help.

Comment #5 muhmmad mahboob (202.5.156.3) - Sun Jun 1 11:10:35 2008

Hello sir,

how are you & i am fine my name is muhmmad mahboob i

lived in pakistan sir you can help me i happand in harddisk format and new install the windows xp pro so you tell me the sovlef my probalm

please just and immigeatly any thing problam and recovery my MS word file importent dat the foramt fil of the word.doc and repair or defult fir recovery solosion the probalm

i am very thankful to you for your kindness thany so much

Comment #6 shamsher khan (59.160.102.198) - Mon Jul 21 03:45:35 2008

dear sir,

i have hp baraded p4 pc suddenlly power cut than my windows corrupted i am repaired through recovery console than format my system and install fresh windows. my data loss now i am how to recover the data.

plz any body help me

i am very thankful to you for your kindness thany so much

Comment #7 candy1111 from China - Wed Aug 20 04:12:54 2008

To get the data you needed back, you can try to use a data recovery software. I usually use EASEUS Data Recovery Wizard. It is safe and easy to use. I hope this information can hope you solve your problems.

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