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XP autorun deleting files

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I installed a new hard drive on my desktop computer and installed my Windows XP Professional operating system on it. The old hard drive was still working and still had the XP operating system on it and files that I wanted to access. I put the old hard drive in an external USB enclosure. After installing XP on the new hard drive, I wanted to access the old hard drive to retrieve documents, files, etc. I attached the external hard drive enclosure and it showed up in ?my computer?. As soon as I clicked on the drive letter for the external hard drive enclosure, an ?auto play? (I am uncertain whether it was auto play, but I believe it was) dialogue box came up and started deleting files fast from the external hard drive enclosure. I immediately stopped the process. I thought that maybe this occurred because there was an XP operating system on the external hard drive enclosure. So, I tried two other external hard drive enclosures that I have, which have only data on them, and the same thing happened ? files were deleting fast until I stopped the process. I used a recovery program to see if the files I wanted on the external hard drive enclosure were still there, but had no luck. Some files were there, but not my videos, pictures, word documents, tax files, etc. I don?t know how the files were selected for deletion, but it appears that the most important files were deleted.

I tried researching the cause of this problem on the Internet. I also referred to my copy of ?Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out? manual. I wasn?t able to find any information regarding this issue.

I am hoping that will be able to advise me as to what happened and why it happened and how to stop this from happening. I doubt that I can recover files that appear to have been deleted, but if that is possible, please let me know.

I appreciate any help you can provide me regarding this issue.

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Clarifications

In reply to XP autorun deleting files

Clarifications

Well firstly this IS NOT NORMAL

In reply to XP autorun deleting files

But if you have an infection on your computer it’s most likely a sign of a Virus that is destructive to Data.

So what Anti Virus Programs do you have installed? If you are relying on Windows Defender forget it as that’s useless.

Load a good AV Scanner and some Spy ware Software and then update and scan as per the instructions of those products.

With the Spy Ware Scans these should be performed in [b]Safe Mode[/b] so that you have a minimal set of drivers loaded and are able to remove any infections that you may have picked up.

As for recovering your Data there are several Data Recovery Programs available on the market which may be able to recover what’s been lost but you need to have them working on a clean uninfected computer. The best available is On Tracks Easy Recovery but it’s also the most expensive short of sending the HDD’s off to a Data Recovery House and the description is here

http://tinyurl.com/kdeu

then you have these which you can chose from but some like Win Hex should be avoided like the Plague if you don’t know Hex inside out.

http://tinyurl.com/8bd3f

http://tinyurl.com/afu2j

http://tinyurl.com/rmvrv

http://tinyurl.com/8p4ex

http://tinyurl.com/yyk8cm

http://tinyurl.com/382vm

http://tinyurl.com/nc4kx

http://tinyurl.com/70lc

http://tinyurl.com/djw6u

http://tinyurl.com/f73se

Those are the more common ones available though there may be some others though unless you are rebuilding a Partition you need to remember to save any recovered files to a different HDD to prevent overwriting of the existing files which requires full Forensic Recovery Methods to be used one this happens and this generally speaking cost quite a lot more money and time to get back the lost files.

Col

XP autorun deleting files

In reply to Well firstly this IS NOT NORMAL

Thanks for the reply Hal. I’ve scanned the computer with Symantec and have AVG installed. I don’t suspect a virus. Have lots of Spy ware Software: Ad-aware. Spy-bot, SpywareBlaster, SpywareGuard, etc. I had disconnected from the internet during the o/s install, the anti-virus program, and firewall install. I am not too concerned about data recovery at this point. The major problem is that I cannot connect an external USB hard drive for fear of losing even more data. I am at a loss!

Well the only real way to be sure is to blow away

In reply to XP autorun deleting files

That Windows Install and make sure that you have a blank HDD to work from before you start to reinstall the OS and associated software.

If you don’t have a wiping utility that is DoD approved you can get Boot & Nuke from here to write zero’s to every sector of the HDD in the computer before you reinstall the OS

http://tinyurl.com/4rfur

Col

[Author]

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