I reset admin passwd - deleted data?

You can reapply rights to files by using the Security Properties page, Advanced to regain ownership of the files and folders and reapply rights to those folders to their respective folders and they should reappear again.

Okay relax

Give a search in all drives for .pst file so that you can backup outlook data

lauch search and enter the word documents.

If you are sure you have deleted something, then you can retrive it by ontrack software

www.ontrack.com

Sounds much more as if instead of just changing passwords you have changed the entire User Accounts.

The existing data should be in the folder for the old users account and is easily importable into your current new User Account or it should be unless you clicked on the [b]Delete Files for this Account[/b] if that's the case you'll need some good Data Recovery Software and the On Track is the best available.

Col

Hi, Update since first posting this:
I have calmed down somewhat, thank you! I located a folder called 'my documents' in the recycle bin, which I 'restored' - the documents restored to 'administrator - for common use', and appear to contain documents from all three users - there aren't that many of them, but I suspect that that's all there was.

Answer 1 - I cannot reapply rights to the folders - it is not the case that I can see the folders but can't access them, I cannot see any folders within each user - it has reset each user to the default empty My docs/my pics/my music folders. Thanks anyway!

Answer 2 - Thanks - A search for 'My Documents' located the folder in recyle bin as described above - I will further search for all documents changed in last month and variants ect to see if there is stuff hidden elsewhere. Unfortunately a search for .pst files didn't locate anything sensible - just new empty files as if the users were all brand new.

Answer 3 - I agree it sounds a bit like that - but I really did only blank the passwords - at logon the user accounts appeared exactly as before, just a bit on the empty side (with the exception of the desktop which seems fine). I have created no new user accounts, nor actively deleted anything.

So - In all, I now have more faith that the data is still in the system somewhere - I just need to find it!

The machine is at home so I won't be able to have another play with it until tonight (I'm in the UK) - I will try a more rigorous search process - by date mosified etc, and also boot with Knoppix/Austrumi and search files and folders from within a linux enviroment, (might help - should at least be quicker - the machine is *really* slow in XP and full of nasties!

I will report back tomorrow, if anyone happens to have any more suggestions I'd be grateful.

(and if I can't find it all - I'll be using the recommended data recovery folks!)

many thanks

Soph

Whoops.

Nice to see you've got some stuff back - but it sounds like you are going to have a few problems with permissions. Thats not too hard to sort though. Copy the disc to another drive formated as fat32 and back again. That will lose all the NTFS security settings allowing you to gain control of the permissions again.

Hi
Glad to hear you got some files.

Regarding windows xp search feature

Try1 you have a feature to search hidden folders

Try2 desktop.google.com download google desktop search and search for files

Try3 www.copernic.com/en/products/desktop-search/download.html

Also can try copernic to search files

Reagarding pst search in this manner

*.pst

Try4 If you are sure you have deleted some data by mistake try this

www.ontrack.com

Hi to everyone who answered and thanks again.

I waited until the boss returned from holiday and 'fessed up, only to be told that... wait for it... - one of their children's school friends had 'helped' long before I got my hands on it, and this is who deleted the pst files and half of the the documents!

I'm glad I waited as the bosses' verdict is to wipe and reformat. This won't be as satifying as solving the problem, but will be a darn sight easier to fit in and is more likely to produce the improved performance he's after.

However, if i had to lay bets on which of the answers would have fixed it, I'm going for 4 and 5!

Many thanks to all - and here are the lessons I learned
1) NEVER *volunteer* to fix bosses/anyone's computer
2) back it up before cracking password/breathing near it
3) find out what the desired outcome is and what data is important. could have saved me from having the heart attack!
4) if it all goes wrong, ask the experts!

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