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Have I lost my files?

Started by pam54 , Feb 10 2009 11:57 AM

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5 replies to this topic

#1 pam54

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Posted 10 February 2009 - 11:57 AM

I had to restore my computer back to factory settings recently with help from a support help desk. I backed up everything, or so I thought. I had to load in software again and now today I am trying to find my family history files which I made using Family Tree and Family Tree 4. They aren't there! I just don't know where to look. Have I really lost them? It is hours of work and I didn't print out more than a fraction of them. Will I have the backup anywhere? I don't understand these things very well so hope someone can put me out of my misery please. (Not sure if this is in the right forum. Apologies if it isn't.)

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#2 dc3

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Posted 10 February 2009 - 12:33 PM

When the computer was returned to the factory settings it overwrote the files from the previous installation, this usually will mean that any personal information that was stored on the same partition will be lost. There are forensic recovery techniques that can be applied, but they are very expensive. Once a file or parts of it are over written conventional methods can't retrieve the data.

Family and loved ones will always be a priority in my daily life. You never know when one will leave you.

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#3 pam54

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Posted 10 February 2009 - 01:23 PM

That is tragic! I shall have to start again now. Please can you tell me how I can back the files up as a I go along. They aren't stored on my documents which is about the only bit that I understand how to back up.

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#4 dc3

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Posted 10 February 2009 - 01:31 PM

I would suggest backing them up to removable media, like CDs, DVDs, flash drive, or a second hard drive. There are application like Acronis's true Image that you can use to backup the whole hdd as well.

Family and loved ones will always be a priority in my daily life. You never know when one will leave you.

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#5 garmanma

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Posted 10 February 2009 - 02:18 PM

with help from a support help desk. I backed up everything,

Backed them up to where??

Mark

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#6 pam54

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Posted 11 February 2009 - 11:57 AM

Thanks for the replies. You must despair with people like me. Because I don't fully understand what I am doing I assumed all the family history stuff was going into 'my documents' part of my computer but it wasn't. The family tree programme is loaded and I access it via my desktop. When I saw something in it where does it go? How do I find it to back it up as I go along? Sorry if this is terribly basic to you but I just don't know. It's really kind of people to offer advice, I don't know anyone who could help me otherwise.

Hope to hear from you.