Lost file - help!
Discussion
Chaps,
A plea on behalf of Mrs zcacogp.
She is writing a document she needs for work, and has been writing it for a number of days now. It is called 'portfolio.doc', and she did ALOT of work on it on 14/9.
However, when she tried to open it this afternoon, she finds that it was last modified on 12/9, NOT 14/9. However, the folder it is in claims to have had something changed on 14/9, and there are only about 5 or 6 things in there, none of which was changed later than 12/9 (which was the document in question.)
There is a hidden file in there called '~$rtfolio.doc', which was modified at the relevant date and time, but this is only 1kb in size, and when you try to open it, Word asks you to install a particular thing to allow you to read it properly, and then tells you that it can't find the relevant files to do this, so displays the document as a load of gobbledegook.
I have tried searching for all files which were changed on the 14/9, but the only things it throws up are the folder which the relevant document was in, and one other file (can't remember what - it was irrelevant anyway.)
Is there anything we can do to try and get this document back, or is it really gone for good? The machine is Win XP, although it synchronises with another machine which is Win2000. Neither have anything unusual on them - Office, and other bits. Both are regularly tested for viruses, and I keep AVG up to date religiously.
Any ideas? All help more than welcomed!
Oli.
A plea on behalf of Mrs zcacogp.
She is writing a document she needs for work, and has been writing it for a number of days now. It is called 'portfolio.doc', and she did ALOT of work on it on 14/9.
However, when she tried to open it this afternoon, she finds that it was last modified on 12/9, NOT 14/9. However, the folder it is in claims to have had something changed on 14/9, and there are only about 5 or 6 things in there, none of which was changed later than 12/9 (which was the document in question.)
There is a hidden file in there called '~$rtfolio.doc', which was modified at the relevant date and time, but this is only 1kb in size, and when you try to open it, Word asks you to install a particular thing to allow you to read it properly, and then tells you that it can't find the relevant files to do this, so displays the document as a load of gobbledegook.
I have tried searching for all files which were changed on the 14/9, but the only things it throws up are the folder which the relevant document was in, and one other file (can't remember what - it was irrelevant anyway.)
Is there anything we can do to try and get this document back, or is it really gone for good? The machine is Win XP, although it synchronises with another machine which is Win2000. Neither have anything unusual on them - Office, and other bits. Both are regularly tested for viruses, and I keep AVG up to date religiously.
Any ideas? All help more than welcomed!
Oli.
If the document was unsaved or lost due to a crash, the data may be stored in the recovery directory, if Auto Recovery is turned on.
Directory is indicated by:
Word > Tools > Options > File Locations > AutoRecover Files
eg.
C:/Documents and Settings/Mrs zcacogp/Application Data/Microsoft/Word
If it is, it will be called something like:
'AutoRecovery Save of Portfolio.ASD'
Double click it, and save as Word file.
To toggle Auto Recovery off/on:
Word > Tools > Options > Save > 'Save AutoRecover Info'
Good luck.
Directory is indicated by:
Word > Tools > Options > File Locations > AutoRecover Files
eg.
C:/Documents and Settings/Mrs zcacogp/Application Data/Microsoft/Word
If it is, it will be called something like:
'AutoRecovery Save of Portfolio.ASD'
Double click it, and save as Word file.
To toggle Auto Recovery off/on:
Word > Tools > Options > Save > 'Save AutoRecover Info'
Good luck.
Edited by Knut Handsome on Saturday 16th September 23:15
Bez - Yes, I think it's the auto-svae thing as well. But also can't get any further ... thanks anyway.
Anyone any other suggestions? Thanks for any help ...
Oli.
ad551 said:
Long shot...the syncronisation might be the problem here? So open My Computer, in the Tools menu click 'Folder Options'. Under the 'Offline Files' tab, click 'View Files'. Is your file in there somewhere?
Ad551 - nice try, but not there. Anyone any other suggestions? Thanks for any help ...
Oli.
Knut Handsome said:
If the document was unsaved or lost due to a crash, the data may be stored in the recovery directory, if Auto Recovery is turned on.
Directory is indicated by:
Word > Tools > Options > File Locations > AutoRecover Files
eg.
C:/Documents and Settings/Mrs zcacogp/Application Data/Microsoft/Word
If it is, it will be called something like:
'AutoRecovery Save of Portfolio.ASD'
Double click it, and save as Word file.
To toggle Auto Recovery off/on:
Word > Tools > Options > Save > 'Save AutoRecover Info'
Good luck.
Another noble effort, for which many thanks, but no banana. Nothing in the directory in question at all! (Apart from a subdirectory called 'STARTUP'). Oh, your path was spot on BTW, thanks. Directory is indicated by:
Word > Tools > Options > File Locations > AutoRecover Files
eg.
C:/Documents and Settings/Mrs zcacogp/Application Data/Microsoft/Word
If it is, it will be called something like:
'AutoRecovery Save of Portfolio.ASD'
Double click it, and save as Word file.
To toggle Auto Recovery off/on:
Word > Tools > Options > Save > 'Save AutoRecover Info'
Good luck.
Oli.
Just a long shot - but out of curiosity, why not try searching for a file called #.doc or ].doc? If she was working on the document and regularly saving, it should be there. If it hasn't been saved, she may have accidentally hit one of the keys near to the Enter key when saving the file, thereby changing the filename.
Failing that - does she have the recently used file list enabled in the File menu? If she's saved it under a different name, maybe it would still be listed in there.
Sorry these ideas aren't very techie, but I don't do techie.
Failing that - does she have the recently used file list enabled in the File menu? If she's saved it under a different name, maybe it would still be listed in there.
Sorry these ideas aren't very techie, but I don't do techie.
I have no idea what's been going on, but files don't magically 'un-update' themselves. Is it possible that the file hasn't actually been saved at all since the date of that file? For instance it would be possible (but extremely unwise) just to leave the editor open, or rely on it's automatic 'delta' saving instead of writing out a new copy of the file.
If the document was definitely saved but seems to have completely disappeared, it might be worth checking for disk errors. Also check the rest of the drive for a file with a similar name in case it was explicitly saved somewhere else a couple of days ago and the copy you're looking at now is actually obsolete. In fact, search the whole drive for documents and list them in modification order, it'll take a while but if there's a newer copy of the document there this'll find it.
We've all been there at some point, and this won't be any help at all now, but this sort of problem is exactly why it is so important to save as you work, and take backups regularly.
If the document was definitely saved but seems to have completely disappeared, it might be worth checking for disk errors. Also check the rest of the drive for a file with a similar name in case it was explicitly saved somewhere else a couple of days ago and the copy you're looking at now is actually obsolete. In fact, search the whole drive for documents and list them in modification order, it'll take a while but if there's a newer copy of the document there this'll find it.
We've all been there at some point, and this won't be any help at all now, but this sort of problem is exactly why it is so important to save as you work, and take backups regularly.
Edited by GreenV8S on Saturday 16th September 23:33
SGirl and GreenV8S,
Thanks. SGirl - tried all the search capabilities (the laptop in question is used very infrequently, so there aren't many things on there.) She unfortunately filled up the 'recently used files' list in opening and closing things while trying to find the thing she lost ...
GreenV8S, I agree about things not just disappearing or changing their date (and I suspect operator error, but don't say that too loudly.) However, it is odd that there is the remains of the auto-save file in the relevant location, and the folder it is in registers a change date which looks correct.
We've tried searching on the other parts of the folder structure, and don't think there are disk errors (but good idea - I'll run scandisk just to check.)
The machine synchronises a remote drive, and holds a copy locally. When it is logged onto the network (wireless), and the machine I use as a file server is also on, it synchronises the local copy with the one on the file server. But the server copy of the folder is identical to the one held locally, so no more to be gained from hacking around in there.
Save regularly etc? Yes ... she is doing that now (of course, after the event!)
Oli.
Thanks. SGirl - tried all the search capabilities (the laptop in question is used very infrequently, so there aren't many things on there.) She unfortunately filled up the 'recently used files' list in opening and closing things while trying to find the thing she lost ...
GreenV8S, I agree about things not just disappearing or changing their date (and I suspect operator error, but don't say that too loudly.) However, it is odd that there is the remains of the auto-save file in the relevant location, and the folder it is in registers a change date which looks correct.
We've tried searching on the other parts of the folder structure, and don't think there are disk errors (but good idea - I'll run scandisk just to check.)
The machine synchronises a remote drive, and holds a copy locally. When it is logged onto the network (wireless), and the machine I use as a file server is also on, it synchronises the local copy with the one on the file server. But the server copy of the folder is identical to the one held locally, so no more to be gained from hacking around in there.
Save regularly etc? Yes ... she is doing that now (of course, after the event!)
Oli.
zcacogp said:
GreenV8S, I agree about things not just disappearing or changing their date (and I suspect operator error, but don't say that too loudly.) However, it is odd that there is the remains of the auto-save file in the relevant location, and the folder it is in registers a change date which looks correct.
The date might be correct - but what about the time? How frequently does the AutoSave run? If the filename was changed after that, wouldn't the old name still appear in the old AutoSaved file?
Just one other thought - is there any chance she could have saved it "by accident" in RTF or TXT format or something? Is she opting to open All Files, or just Word Documents? Very long shot, but you never know I suppose. Might be worth checking and having a look at All Documents, just in case.
Good luck.
Press F3
Search for files and folders> More Advanced Options> Search Hidden Files And Folders.
Leave the filename section completely blank.
Just type something from the doc in the "A word or a phrase in the file" section. If it's on the disk that'll find it. Failing that Google for Restorer2000 and download the eval. That'll find any deleted word docs on the HDD. If it's <64K in size the demo version can actually recover it, otherwise it'll cost you about £19.99.
Search for files and folders> More Advanced Options> Search Hidden Files And Folders.
Leave the filename section completely blank.
Just type something from the doc in the "A word or a phrase in the file" section. If it's on the disk that'll find it. Failing that Google for Restorer2000 and download the eval. That'll find any deleted word docs on the HDD. If it's <64K in size the demo version can actually recover it, otherwise it'll cost you about £19.99.
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