i have lost everything

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.

Originally Posted by sv_dan

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.

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

Name and shame...Name and Shame

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]

Originally Posted by Baph

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'.

[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.

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!)

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

No Geek-speak to English.