Recovering corrupt files?

[Oeryk]

OMG. I am going to be sick.

I was working on my iPAQ last night. I went to read an eBook that is stored on my SD card. There was only one file listed in my library. No problem. I ejected and reinserted my SD card. Same thing. I did a soft reset. Same thing.

I went to Resco File Exporer, and looked at my SD card. There is NO "My Documents" folder!! OMG! PANIC! I did another soft reset. Still no folder. I did some looking, and found that there is a HUGE file named 67a140f0 that is 940109K in size. There is also a document that I don't remember seeing named "ignore_my_docs".

The only thing different between today and last week is that on Friday, I installed Mazingo to try it out. It stored lots of data on my SD card, and I was even afraid that it would fill it completely. I was NOT impressed, so I uninstalled it.

Now, I have no "My Documents" folder and it held ALL of my important stuff. I only recently bought the 2215. I had a 3835 that I used before. I had done a backup just before buying the 2215. I had neglected to backup the 2215 (like a MORON)! I tried to do a restore, but it said that some file was missing. I assume this is a data file that holds the restore info. I no longer have the 3835.

PLEASE, SOMEONE HELP ME! Tell me that all of my data is not history! I am sick over this!

I just realized that it is not ONLY that folder that is missing. Also all programs and games I had installed there are gone as well.

Has anyone ever come across anything like this? Does anyone know how to restore to a NEW PDA?

Thanks in advance.

I have learned a painful lesson. I shall backup religiously from now on. :cry:

[qmrq]

8O Yep, I'd be panicked too. :-P

Try some file recovery program on your workstation with a card reader maybe.

[Oeryk]

Well...here is an update:

I told you I did not have my 3835 anymore. I had sold it to a co-worker. That person was kind enough to let me borrow it back for the night to try a restore. In exchannge, I was going to do a hard reset and reinstall some software. This person knows very little about PPCs and is having a hard time with it.

Anyhow...

The restore took almost 4 hours!!! 8O Wow! But...that did not fix my problem. I had basically given up hope of ever getting my data back. (By the way, I did attempt to run Norton Disk Doctor on the SD, but it said the card was not recognized and asked if I wanted to format it. NO!) So, like I said, I had given up. I went to delete the files off of the card and attempt to format it. As soon as I told it to delete the strange named file...

:!: **POOF!** :!:

The "My Documents" folder reappeared! OMG! Amazing! Try as I did, I could not get my Utilities or games back, but that was not a big loss. I can reinstall all of that later. I am so HAPPY! I created an immediate copy of that folder on my desktop for future reference!

A very nice ending to a very sad story! Like I said before, I have learned a very painful lesson! BACK UP REGULARLY! :D :mrgreen: :D

[Janak Parekh]

8O That's really, really weird. It's a message from someone or something. Glad to hear you got your information back. :)

--janak

[Steven Cedrone]

Wierd and lucky...

You don't normally get a second chance...

Backups, backups, backups... :wink:

Steve