[SOLVED] Checkdsk ran on drive and lost files, any recovery options?

lexi73 · 06-10-2009, 11:01 AM

Hey everyone,
I'm a new member with a huge problem. I'm a photographer and I take many photos every week. I usually stick to a good backup plan but this one caught me in between backup cycles. I've looked everywhere and i cant find any further info. I just dont want to give up on it until i know it's a lost cause. Sorry if this is long.

Story:
beginning of May I backed up all files from a 500GB WD external to an terabyte WD external drive. 3 Weeks pass and I'm working on some files for clients and the computer freezes....Try everything to restart and nothing works. Hold the power button in and restart. I was not around when the computer restarted and it automatically started Checkdsk on my 500gig drive and converted many files into .chk files and placed them in the root of the drive in a folder named "Found.001". There were a total of 10000 .chk files in this folder ranging from FILE0000.CHK to FILE9999.CHK.

I've recovered all the files within the checkdsk directory but I'm still missing 100's of files accounting for gigs worth of images. Just my luck that most of the files that are in the Found.001 folder were backed up in my early may backup.

When i look at the properties of the entire drive it shows that I only have 4 free gigs out of the 465GB of the formatted drive, but when i look at the properties for each folder in the root it only adds up to just over 200GB. I've found the Checkdsk log and the command to delete folders and it automatically answered yes for me.

Questions:
1. Does CheckDsk only export files up to 10000? is this why my files stopped at FILE9999.CHK?
2. Are the other files that were not exported and changed into .CHK files still on the drive somewhere or were they automatically deleted?
3. Is there any hope to recover files that were not within the Checkdsk Directory?

I'd really appreciate any help you can offer...I feel robbed of my files!

Ian

**raptor_pa** · 06-11-2009, 07:01 PM

Scan the disk with r-studio or getdataback demos and see if they can find files. They may not have valid filenames or directories, but they may. FILE9999 is the highest value that can be stored in the DOS 8.3 file name structure, but chkdsk should have created a second direcory. It may be it also ran out of space. Try the recovery software, probablythe quickest/easiest way to get back up running.

lexi73 · 06-12-2009, 08:44 AM

Thanks for the reply....I'll take a look into the 2 software items you had mentioned below...I figured that 9999 was the highest number allowed.

There was only the one Checkdsk folder. There is only about 5 free gigs on the drive so that is a possibility.

uggghhhh...

also once i get what i can from this drive...is it going to be good to use at all still? I planned on reformatting it and then adding info back on it.

dai · 06-12-2009, 11:04 AM

when you have recovered,clear it with killdisk and format it
then check it before reloading it

d/load and run the h/drive makers diagnostic utility on the h/drive

http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287

http://www.killdisk.com/downloadfree.htm

lexi73 · 06-18-2009, 09:00 PM

WOOO HOOOO Getdataback worked great! got everything back and I'm good to go! thanks for the referral raptor!

Now I have to dump the drive and reformat it!

dai · 06-19-2009, 12:58 AM

glad you have it sorted

06-10-2009, 11:01 AM	#1 (permalink)
lexi73 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 5 OS: XP	[SOLVED] Checkdsk ran on drive and lost files, any recovery options? Hey everyone, I'm a new member with a huge problem. I'm a photographer and I take many photos every week. I usually stick to a good backup plan but this one caught me in between backup cycles. I've looked everywhere and i cant find any further info. I just dont want to give up on it until i know it's a lost cause. Sorry if this is long. Story: beginning of May I backed up all files from a 500GB WD external to an terabyte WD external drive. 3 Weeks pass and I'm working on some files for clients and the computer freezes....Try everything to restart and nothing works. Hold the power button in and restart. I was not around when the computer restarted and it automatically started Checkdsk on my 500gig drive and converted many files into .chk files and placed them in the root of the drive in a folder named "Found.001". There were a total of 10000 .chk files in this folder ranging from FILE0000.CHK to FILE9999.CHK. I've recovered all the files within the checkdsk directory but I'm still missing 100's of files accounting for gigs worth of images. Just my luck that most of the files that are in the Found.001 folder were backed up in my early may backup. When i look at the properties of the entire drive it shows that I only have 4 free gigs out of the 465GB of the formatted drive, but when i look at the properties for each folder in the root it only adds up to just over 200GB. I've found the Checkdsk log and the command to delete folders and it automatically answered yes for me. Questions: 1. Does CheckDsk only export files up to 10000? is this why my files stopped at FILE9999.CHK? 2. Are the other files that were not exported and changed into .CHK files still on the drive somewhere or were they automatically deleted? 3. Is there any hope to recover files that were not within the Checkdsk Directory? I'd really appreciate any help you can offer...I feel robbed of my files! Ian

06-11-2009, 07:01 PM	#2 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,499 OS: XP	Re: Checkdsk ran on drive and lost files, any recovery options? Scan the disk with r-studio or getdataback demos and see if they can find files. They may not have valid filenames or directories, but they may. FILE9999 is the highest value that can be stored in the DOS 8.3 file name structure, but chkdsk should have created a second direcory. It may be it also ran out of space. Try the recovery software, probablythe quickest/easiest way to get back up running. __________________

06-12-2009, 08:44 AM	#3 (permalink)
lexi73 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 5 OS: XP	Thanks for the reply....I'll take a look into the 2 software items you had mentioned below...I figured that 9999 was the highest number allowed. There was only the one Checkdsk folder. There is only about 5 free gigs on the drive so that is a possibility. uggghhhh... also once i get what i can from this drive...is it going to be good to use at all still? I planned on reformatting it and then adding info back on it. Last edited by dai; 06-12-2009 at 11:02 AM.

06-12-2009, 11:04 AM	#4 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,148 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	Re: Checkdsk ran on drive and lost files, any recovery options? when you have recovered,clear it with killdisk and format it then check it before reloading it d/load and run the h/drive makers diagnostic utility on the h/drive http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287 http://www.killdisk.com/downloadfree.htm __________________

06-18-2009, 09:00 PM	#5 (permalink)
lexi73 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 5 OS: XP	Re: Checkdsk ran on drive and lost files, any recovery options? WOOO HOOOO Getdataback worked great! got everything back and I'm good to go! thanks for the referral raptor! Now I have to dump the drive and reformat it!

06-19-2009, 12:58 AM	#6 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,148 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	Re: Checkdsk ran on drive and lost files, any recovery options? glad you have it sorted __________________