Windows wiped clean (but folders still remain)[moved from xp]

Alien-Life · 07-23-2007, 01:02 PM

My computer sems to have been wiped. All folders still remain, including all sub folders in My Documents, but they're all empty!! Even the folders for my IE favourate places still remain but they are empty.
I went into add/remove programs & all programs are still listed there but I can't get into them. There are no icons & all folders are empty.
I can't even use sytem restore because that folder is empty.

In the main administrator account, the same has happened but everything in her 'My documents' folder (such as photo's etc) still remains.

I can still use the internet because the IE icon is still on the desktop (along with recycle bin and My Documents). All other icons have been wiped. I can also still get into AVG, spyware terminator & quicktime because they are set to load at start-up so are in the system tray. When I clicked on Spyware terminator though the installer appeared. This did not happen with AVG or Quicktime.

I restarted my computer and the old logon screen appeared (instead of the list of usernames you have to type your own username in). In the logon box it had the following message;
"The security logon for this computer is full. Only administrators can logon to fix the problem"
(This message appeared a week previously for a non-administrator so might be a seperate problem)

I logged on to the main administrator account and cleared the security logs in the vent viewer but nothing changed.
I can't switch users from the main administrator to my own administrator account. A message says "This computer is locked only "main administrator" can unlock this computer" and I have to completely log off first.
No other users can logon at all as they are not administrators.

I tried reinstalling a program from disc but it said it was already installed, I clicked repair but the folder for the program is still empty!

I could get into Microsoft Word Processer when I first restarted because the icon was still in the most recently used programs list on the start menu. That too has now gone.
However, other programs who's icons I have set to permanently remain in the most recently used list I cannot access. A message comes up saying "The file or folder 'name of file/folder' that this shortcut rerfers to cannot be found"

When everything got wiped I was trying to use a program called AV-CLS and clicked on a file called KIX32.EXE by mistake. Could this have done anything?

What could have caused this and what do I do? I don't have an XP CD. Please help!!

dai · 07-23-2007, 01:22 PM

http://www.derkeiler.com/Newsgroups/...5-10/0084.html
i will move you over to security to see if they can undo whatever you did to cause it

sUBs · 07-23-2007, 01:54 PM

I'm not sure what happened here but by your descript, the damage done is too extensive. If System Restore is still operational, you may be able to to restore some but not all of your files. Other than that, a reformat should be the only option.

If you wish to recover some of your files using 3rd party software, I would suggest that you remove the hard disk & slave it to another OS. Take note that not everything can be restored.

Alien-Life · 07-23-2007, 02:52 PM

System restore does not work, As the folder is empty I accessed it through the C:/WINDOWS/system32/restore folder. A message comes up saying "system restore is unable to protect your computer. Please restart your computer, and try again"
Restarting doesn't change anything.
Is reformatting my only option? Why does everthing still remain in the 'My documents' folder in the main administrator account?
What could have caused all this?

sUBs · 07-23-2007, 02:57 PM

You should stop using this disk now.

The more you continue to use it, the likelihood of overwriting the older data (which may be recoverable) increases.

I'm sorry. I wish I could be of more help but the damage is too extensive

Alien-Life · 07-23-2007, 03:22 PM

But how do I slave it to another OS? What do I need? Is there no other way of recovering data?

sUBs · 07-23-2007, 03:31 PM

Quote:

I slave it to another OS?

I phrased that term to check how familiar you are with computers.

Slaving the drive means manually detaching it from your CPU. Then connect the drive to another machine. Install file recovery software on that machine & have it scanned this drive. The recovery process is often slow & tedious. It probably would take days.

I'm moving this thread to the Hard Disks forum. The guys there are real experts with such things

07-23-2007, 01:02 PM	#1 (permalink)
Alien-Life Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 3 OS: XP	Windows wiped clean (but folders still remain)[moved from xp] My computer sems to have been wiped. All folders still remain, including all sub folders in My Documents, but they're all empty!! Even the folders for my IE favourate places still remain but they are empty. I went into add/remove programs & all programs are still listed there but I can't get into them. There are no icons & all folders are empty. I can't even use sytem restore because that folder is empty. In the main administrator account, the same has happened but everything in her 'My documents' folder (such as photo's etc) still remains. I can still use the internet because the IE icon is still on the desktop (along with recycle bin and My Documents). All other icons have been wiped. I can also still get into AVG, spyware terminator & quicktime because they are set to load at start-up so are in the system tray. When I clicked on Spyware terminator though the installer appeared. This did not happen with AVG or Quicktime. I restarted my computer and the old logon screen appeared (instead of the list of usernames you have to type your own username in). In the logon box it had the following message; "The security logon for this computer is full. Only administrators can logon to fix the problem" (This message appeared a week previously for a non-administrator so might be a seperate problem) I logged on to the main administrator account and cleared the security logs in the vent viewer but nothing changed. I can't switch users from the main administrator to my own administrator account. A message says "This computer is locked only "main administrator" can unlock this computer" and I have to completely log off first. No other users can logon at all as they are not administrators. I tried reinstalling a program from disc but it said it was already installed, I clicked repair but the folder for the program is still empty! I could get into Microsoft Word Processer when I first restarted because the icon was still in the most recently used programs list on the start menu. That too has now gone. However, other programs who's icons I have set to permanently remain in the most recently used list I cannot access. A message comes up saying "The file or folder 'name of file/folder' that this shortcut rerfers to cannot be found" When everything got wiped I was trying to use a program called AV-CLS and clicked on a file called KIX32.EXE by mistake. Could this have done anything? What could have caused this and what do I do? I don't have an XP CD. Please help!!

07-23-2007, 01:22 PM	#2 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 53,599 OS: vista 32x 64x ultimate retail	Re: Windows wiped clean (but folders still remain) http://www.derkeiler.com/Newsgroups/...5-10/0084.html i will move you over to security to see if they can undo whatever you did to cause it __________________

07-23-2007, 01:54 PM	#3 (permalink)
sUBs Asst Manager Security, Expert Analyst, Moderator, Security Team; Rangemaster, Moderator, TSF Academy Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 23,238 OS: N/A	Re: Windows wiped clean (but folders still remain)[moved from xp] I'm not sure what happened here but by your descript, the damage done is too extensive. If System Restore is still operational, you may be able to to restore some but not all of your files. Other than that, a reformat should be the only option. If you wish to recover some of your files using 3rd party software, I would suggest that you remove the hard disk & slave it to another OS. Take note that not everything can be restored. __________________

07-23-2007, 02:52 PM	#4 (permalink)
Alien-Life Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 3 OS: XP	Re: Windows wiped clean (but folders still remain)[moved from xp] System restore does not work, As the folder is empty I accessed it through the C:/WINDOWS/system32/restore folder. A message comes up saying "system restore is unable to protect your computer. Please restart your computer, and try again" Restarting doesn't change anything. Is reformatting my only option? Why does everthing still remain in the 'My documents' folder in the main administrator account? What could have caused all this?

07-23-2007, 02:57 PM	#5 (permalink)
sUBs Asst Manager Security, Expert Analyst, Moderator, Security Team; Rangemaster, Moderator, TSF Academy Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 23,238 OS: N/A	Re: Windows wiped clean (but folders still remain)[moved from xp] You should stop using this disk now. The more you continue to use it, the likelihood of overwriting the older data (which may be recoverable) increases. I'm sorry. I wish I could be of more help but the damage is too extensive __________________

07-23-2007, 03:22 PM	#6 (permalink)
Alien-Life Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 3 OS: XP	Re: Windows wiped clean (but folders still remain)[moved from xp] But how do I slave it to another OS? What do I need? Is there no other way of recovering data?