I.T. Support Urgent

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Discussion

NWVT

Original Poster:

2,630 posts

199 months

Monday 30th November 2009
quotequote all
Hi People need some IT support im normally fine with anything IT due to my 3 a-levels but tonight am completly perplexed.
Just done a windows update in whichc there as an important update. so any way as useuall yeah download and install that. got to install it said important files missing need to reboot??? found this most od. but any way so it starts back up and says please boot from dis due to missing files put the disk in. and instead of repairing windows it went dtreight into installing windows. frown GRRR so now its reinstalled vista all my files look to be in place but having issues with some drivers.
Also i had some Vital working folders which where on the desktop but obviously not there now and looking throu the disk drives cant see them. im completly poop'd if i cant get to these files. any ideas where they may have moved to. it also appears its repartioned my drives as the c and d drives have swapped round ? frown. so can any one help me please.
A Geek in distress

HereBeMonsters

14,180 posts

197 months

Monday 30th November 2009
quotequote all
NWVT said:
im normally fine with anything IT due to my 3 a-levels
laugh




Seriously though, sounds very similar to something that happened to me on installing a Vista Service Pack. Did you go through the whole re-installation of Windows? If so, and your data was on the same drive as your OS (MASSIVE mistake) then you've lost it. You could try a disk recovery utility, but chances are very small.

What you should have done (not helpful, I know, but...) is save all your data on a different drive (making backups on removable media every so often as well) then set a system restore point before you install the update. If it fails, just hit F8 on startup and choose "Last Known Good" to boot to this restore point. Failing that, use the CD/DVD to boot to recovery partition, and try that.

Another option is if you can put the drive into another machine, and attempt to mount it on there.

Ozone

3,064 posts

202 months

Monday 30th November 2009
quotequote all
This may seem obvious, but did windows ask to do a clean install? Usually that means formatting the existing c drive.

Beaten to it.

Edited by Ozone on Monday 30th November 00:54

NWVT

Original Poster:

2,630 posts

199 months

Monday 30th November 2009
quotequote all
so bassicaly if the files where on the desktop e.g. c drive which is also the OS drive they have gone frown
it cant find any restore points but i did create one before the update as useuall.
im so angry now il try and see if i can recover any thing as i say 2 drives lucly 95% of my stuff is on the d drive but there was some vital stuff on the c drive frown GRRR damn you bill gates

NWVT

Original Poster:

2,630 posts

199 months

Monday 30th November 2009
quotequote all
It was strange tho i put the disk in and it just started installing i didnt have a chance to stop it frown it just litrelly started installing a fresh install.

NWVT

Original Poster:

2,630 posts

199 months

Monday 30th November 2009
quotequote all
THANK GOD Just been proding And its kept the stuff from the c drive desktop i can breath once again just got allthe software to sort o Joy lol thanks for your help people i shall be contact MS CS tommorow to complain lol

HereBeMonsters

14,180 posts

197 months

Monday 30th November 2009
quotequote all
NWVT said:
It was strange tho i put the disk in and it just started installing i didnt have a chance to stop it frown it just litrelly started installing a fresh install.
It will look like that, then will eventually give you the option of installing fresh, or recovering an existing install. At least it should, if it finds anything to recover.

As for storing documents on the desktop - You would be amazed how many people think this is the correct place to put them. Woman at work recently lost her laptop (she claims it was stolen, she blatantly left it somewhere) and along with it all correspondence with her main account. She was incredulous when we told her we could not recover it ("haven't you got backup tapes?") and neither did we have satellite tracking to find where her laptop had ended up.

Look on the bright side though. This is the last time you'll make that mistake now!

NWVT

Original Poster:

2,630 posts

199 months

Monday 30th November 2009
quotequote all
Definetly no option to even repair windows it just started the install instantly.
the files i keep on the desktop are mainly desigins and photos im currently working on for clients as its just easy/lazy for when i first fire up i can carry on working.
and also all my desktop shortcuts lol. which to behonest i had need to really tidy up for a long time lol.
im now backing every thing up on to my external harddrive for extra piece of mind just incase windows chucks anouther wobbly update. thanks for your help tho mate. specially at this time of day. smile much apreciated

HereBeMonsters

14,180 posts

197 months

Monday 30th November 2009
quotequote all
NWVT said:
the files i keep on the desktop are mainly desigins and photos im currently working on for clients as its just easy/lazy for when i first fire up i can carry on working.
Just chuck a shortcut to a folder on a different drive on there. You can drag and drop into it, and it will let you save into it from the app too.

HereBeMonsters

14,180 posts

197 months

Monday 30th November 2009
quotequote all
NWVT said:
thanks for your help tho mate. specially at this time of day. smile much apreciated
Oh, no worries. I am currently awake because I am currently being paid to provide this sort of support to the company I work for. 6000 staff, 20+ locations worldwide and over 200 servers. All down to me until 6am.

Time for a bit of shuteye I think!

NWVT

Original Poster:

2,630 posts

199 months

Monday 30th November 2009
quotequote all
You know what i never thought about doing that folder lol iv just done it now smile cheers smile I owe you a pint smile

Vespula

3,146 posts

191 months

Monday 30th November 2009
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NWVT said:
.... im normally fine with anything IT due to my 3 a-levels.....
So,

It's hard to believe you couldn't fix your computer what with having three A Levels and everything. I'm assuming these three A Levels do not include English....or IT then?

I'm glad it all worked out for you in the end. wink

NWVT

Original Poster:

2,630 posts

199 months

Monday 30th November 2009
quotequote all
Yes they did include IT but i got my distinctions in CAD and web design P.S im dyslexic sorry for all the gramatical spelling mistakes.

jammy_basturd

29,778 posts

227 months

Monday 30th November 2009
quotequote all
You can get a distinction in an A-level now? Back in my day it was just A* as the highest.

HereBeMonsters

14,180 posts

197 months

Monday 30th November 2009
quotequote all
jammy_basturd said:
You can get a distinction in an A-level now? Back in my day it was just A* as the highest.
You sure about that? In my day an A was the highest. No such thing as an A*.


In any case, how would a distinction in CAD help you troubleshoot a Windows OS issue? Just because it's on a computer, doesn't mean it's the same. It's like saying a taxi driver should be a good mechanic. Or a telesales worker should know how to fix an exchange.

Mattt

16,664 posts

233 months

Monday 30th November 2009
quotequote all
CAD and Web Design A Level?