i have lost everything

[hovis]

just got my PC back, it needed formating??
i had to sign up to tiscali again...........but all my music & photos have gone

[gettin2dizzy]

have you actually formatted it yet? there are lots of free programs that will be able to recover your files :)

[hovis]

took it back to shop on saturday, just got it back all done

[Kate]

if its been formatted then all data, software etc everything has been deleted I'm afraid.

[arenalife]

That's scandalous, if a repair shop didn't think to back up your data or at least prompt you to do it before bringing it in I'd be going mental!!

For everyone else, make regular backups of your data, a USB high capacity drive isn't expensive.

[Baph]

That's scandalous, if a repair shop didn't think to back up your data or at least prompt you to do it before bringing it in I'd be going mental!!

AMEN!

There is absoluetly no need to EVER format a machine & loose all data held on the C drive. If your data was never on the C drive, then it's even more inexcusable.

How many freebies can they give you because of the inconvienence they've caused? Did they call you to ask if they could format it before they did so?

That's like your bike going into a dealership for a service, getting it back, and getting the bill for the new tyres they fitted without asking!

Hovi5, do yourself a favour, never, EVER go back to that shop again (unless it's to complain!) and if you have any more computer issues, post on the forum from the library, us geeks will sort you out.

[hovis]

they did say it may need formating, but i did not know i would lose everything. its all the music i had which in more anoyed over as it tooks ages to get it all on there.

i got a black screen saying windows coundnt load then 4 options at the bottom 1 was start windows normaly.

[Baph]

they did say it may need formating, but i did not know i would lose everything. its all the music i had which in more anoyed over as it tooks ages to get it all on there.

i got a black screen saying windows coundnt load then 4 options at the bottom 1 was start windows normaly.
They had to format your machine because it didn't boot properly? WTF?!?!

I'm sure there's some governing body that you can report these cowboys to.

On that black screen, there will of been "Start Windows in Safe Mode with Networking" and a "with Command Prompt" option... either of those would of probably started your machine, shut it down, restart normally, and the problem usually goes away. Not always mind.

Do me a favour, call in to the shop, and get them to WRITE DOWN in detail the reason that they thought it warranted a format. If it's simply the easiest fix, then you need to be looking at compensation for inconvienence IMO. As far as the shop is concerned, you had data for work on there, and personal finances. They won't of looked in detail to see it wasn't there.

Once you get a written statement from them, post it on the org (or PM to me).

Cowboy's like that destroy all faith that people have in IT folks & it really gets my goat. Even if there was a legitimate reason to format it, your data should of been backed up by them, and replaced once Windows was installed again.

[hovis]

i did try to start it with the differant options on the black screen but none worked

i wall told it needed formating bacause there was virus's which they could not remove

[Baph]

i did try to start it with the differant options on the black screen but none worked

i wall told it needed formating bacause there was virus's which they could not remove
LMAO at that!

So there's a virus huh? What kind of virus was it? Normal generic windows virus? Install Windows on the machine (without formatting), byebye virus. Data still intact.

Boot sector virus? Install windows on the machine (without formatting), byebye virus, data still intact.

Firmware "virus"? Only ever affect specific firmware, not hard to work out what it's infected. Update firmware to latest provided by manufacturer. Done. No loss of data/settings whatsoever.

Sorry, but I'm missing something here, there was no need to format that machine!

[DanAbnormal]

It was probably a problem with one of the .dll's which can easily be repaired if they had half a brain. This happened to me but was self inflicted, but I did learn.:rolleyes:

[Baph]

It was probably a problem with one of the .dll's which can easily be repaired if they had half a brain. This happened to me but was self inflicted, but I did learn.:rolleyes:
Yea, rolling back to a system restore point helps that one too (if you have system restore points that is).

That also helps with the genuine validation tool, erm, apparently :oops:

[Jdubya]

Name and shame...Name and Shame:smt065

[gettin2dizzy]

you can still reclaim some of the data, not all of it. it only deletes the database telling the computer where the file data is. So with a suitable program it ccan search for the files still. Not a complete solution but better than losing everything

[Luckypants]

AMEN!

There is absoluetly no need to EVER format a machine & loose all data held on the C drive. If your data was never on the C drive, then it's even more inexcusable.

Totally with you on that. Not a PC person myself, but I'm endlessly sorting out the mess caused by 'professionals' who think they know what thier doing, just because they know a little bit more than the punter. In fact working on one now for a Canadian bank, 'set up' by one of our own 'trained professionals'. :rolleyes:

[northwind]

This is why I started doing all my own PC stuff, it still always goes wrong but at least I'm not paying someone to mess it all up.

[Fearg]

Hovis if you want to recover you photo's etc it may be possible as others have stated. Assuming who ever has formatted it for you has used a windows file format eg NTFS for XP then there is a very BIG chance you can do it. There are things like low level formatting and ghosting which may have been used if your pc has an installed recovery program or recovery disc.

I have used a program called Easy recovery on a number of occasions for unfortunate people just like yourself to recover important family photo's.

It does require removing the hard drive from your machine and temporarily installing it in another with said progarm instaled in order to recover the data as it is unable to recover it to the same drive.

I'm sure I cannot be the only one on here that has done this and there are probably other org'ers more familiar to you that can do it but if not I am happy to have a go for you. (no promises on success rate but I've been pretty lucky in the past!)

:D

[Nutkins]

What?! Even Babelfish is having trouble with what you lot are saying.

No Geek-speak to English.