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My computer was wiped after data had been backed up. However, when it was restored, I found my original Windows Mail was missing! A new one is in its place. Can my original Windows Mail be found and restored?

You can probably recovery your lost Windows Mail, but the method depends on exactly where it is at this moment. Is it possible that the file is just hidden? Go to My Computer and then choose Organizer and then Folder and Search Options. Click on the View tab, select Show hidden files and folders and click Ok.

Copy to New Windows Mail

If you can find the old folder, you can copy the messages and account information to the new Windows Mail.

1. First, go to C:\Users\ (Old mail folder)\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail.
2. Select all files and the copy to: C:\Users\(New mail folder)\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail.

Transfer Mail Settings

You can also transfer your mail settings to the new folder. These are located in the registry, and you can recover them as long as the registry hive is still readable.

1. Go to Start and type in: regedit.exe. Click Enter.
2. Select HKEY_USERS. You will see the file menu. Choose Load Hive.
3. Go to C:\Users\(Oldmailacccount) and select NTUSER.DAT. Give this the key name: OldUserHive.
4. Now go to: HKEY_USERS\OldUserHive\Software\Microsoft\Windows Mail and choose it.
5. Go to File, Export and Desktop. Give this a filename and Save.
6. Now select HKEY_USERS\OldUserHive. From File, select Unload Hive.
7. Go to Notepad. Open the file that you named in step #5.
8. Choose Edit and then Replace. Under “Find What”: HKEY_USER\OldUserHive
9. Under “Replace With”: HKEY_CURRENT_USER. Choose Replace All.
10. Save and close Notepad.
11. Go to Registry Editor again and choose File and then Import. Locate mailsettings.reg and open.

Now, you need to prevent Windows Mail from crashing because of a flaw in the Signature Key. Delete the “Signature” registry key. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Mail\signatures. Delete this key. Now you can add the signature manually. Go to Windows Mail, Tools and then Options. Choose Signatures and add yours manually.

Data Recovery Tools

There are several downloadable tools that you can use to recover data including deleted or corrupted emails if you don’t want to try to alter the registry.

Data Recovery Pro is a program that can even recover deleted emails from Windows Mail Vista, has a good support program and allows you to download a free trial before buying the program. If you prefer a freeware download, you can try a program like Advanced Windows Mail Recovery, but be aware they offer little if any support.

Hopefully, this advice will allow you to recovery your old Windows Mail files quickly.

If the motherboard is replaced, do I lose all the information of my laptop?

Whether or not you lose your data when replacing a motherboard depends on several factors. As with any type of hardware/software change on a computer, replacing the motherboard has the potential to create loss of your data. However, if you are careful when installing the new motherboard, you shouldn’t have any problems. If you have someone else doing the replacement for you, make sure that you tell them not to wipe the hard drive clean.

Where the files, applications, etc are stored

The data stored on a computer can be found on the hard drive. As long as you don’t wipe the hard drive clean, you should retain your files, etc. If you back up your hard drive onto an alternative storage media such as an external drive, secondary drive, flash drive, or CD, then you will have access to the information should the worst happen and you lose your data. You could probably use an application that recovers lost data to get it back for you as well.

Replacing the Motherboard

If you replace the motherboard with one that uses the same chipset, this strategy should allow the motherboard to automatically detect your operating system to install it. If not, it might take a bit for the operating system to detect your new hardware and boot up.

Replacing the Motherboard and Installing the Operating System

In some cases, you might need to reinstall your operating system. Therefore, if this happens you’ll need to either use the following directions or back up your data first.

If you have the option to run a repair installation or upgrade your Windows operating system, you shouldn’t have any problems. You can check your current version of Windows to see if it includes the option to create a repair install or upgrade feature. If it does, you can use one of these to place your operating system back on without losing any of your data.

Tips to consider when installing a new motherboard

Avoid static electricity that can destroy your motherboard by grounding yourself. Touch the metal casing of your computer or wear a static-free band.

Download the drivers for the new motherboard prior to its installation for a quicker install. This usually prevents any problems installing the motherboard and accessing your old data too.

I had Windows Vista and now have XP. I downloaded files to a USB stick and haven’t been able to get them open for several months now. I have tried downloading stuff from the net to open them but have yet to get them open. There are several people that cannot open theirs as well. I am very confused and not very good at this type of stuff. Can you please tell me how to open these files step by step with my XP PC? If not please send me in the correct direction to open them. Thank you very much for your reply.

Retrieving Files from a USB Stick

Try the USB Stick in another Computer to test

There are several possible reasons to explain why you aren’t able to open your files, which are hard to narrow down without more information. To begin, it is possible that there is a problem with your USB stick. If the USB stick doesn’t open and display your files when you insert it in your computer, then the problem could be the USB stick itself. The first thing to do is try the USB stick in another computer and see if it opens there. If the USB stick doesn’t show up or open, the stick itself might be faulty.

Run Updated Virus Scans

If the USB stick behaves differently in another computer, there could be a problem with your drive. Sometimes drive problems are the result of a computer virus so it is a good idea to run updated virus, spyware and adware scans on your computer and quarantine or repair any problems that they find. Once you have addressed the problems, run the scans again until they come up clean.

Run Windows Chkdsk Utility

If you can get the USB stick to mount and it is displayed as an icon on your desktop, you should be able to use the Windows CheckDisk utility to see if the file system on the USB stick is corrupt. Chkdsk will run and check all your system volumes for errors and attempt to fix any that it finds. You will need to be logged on as an administrator to run the chkdsk tool. The chkdsk tool can only check files and volumes that are not in use, so you should close all open programs, folders and files before you proceed. Expect the chkdsk tool to take some time and wait until it has completed its process.

How to Run Windows Chkdsk on XP

1. Click twice on My Computer, then right click on the name of the file that you want to scan - in this case on the drive letter assigned to your USB drive
2. Choose Properties, then Tools
3. Find the tab for Error Checking, then underneath it find and choose Check Now
4. A dialog box will open and present three options. The third option - to Scan for and Attempt Recovery of Bad Sectors - is the most comprehensive scan. Select it and click Start.

Alternatives to USB Sticks for Data Backup

It is possible that your USB stick is simply too old to function properly, or that it is corrupt and unable to open or display files. I know it is of no use to tell you this now, when you are grieving the potential loss of your files, but USB sticks are not the most reliable devices to use when backing up important data. CD-ROMs remain a good choice, or a copy saved to CD to compliment a USB copy will guarantee you retrieve your data.

Collect a List of Details and Symptoms for Diagnosis

If none of these tips address your problem, please write again and include more specific information, such as whether or not the USB stick is displayed on the desktop, whether or not the files show up in the contents but fail to open, what type of file they are, and whether or not you receive an error message when attempting to open your files.

Data Recovery

If your USB stick shows up as a drive letter, you may be able to use data recovery software to recover the files. Try the free demo of Data Recovery Pro and see if your files are recoverable. 

My computer recently crashed and we took out the hard drives and a so called computer guy transferred what data he could from them to an external hard drive. Computer now back up and running but nothing on hard drives and when we try to open documents and photos which were copied to external hard drive they just open up in undecipherable text and photos display no image! Is there any way of getting these documents back especially photos?

There are a lot of things that can happen when you find yourself in this situation. It’s possible that the data that your tech transferred was corrupted before the transfer, and that’s why you are unable to read them.

More likely, and hopefully the problem, is that the external hard drive is formatted in FAT 32 while your internal drive is in NTFS. If this is the case, it may be possible to reformat the data on the external hard drive and convert it to a format that your operating system can read. Converting to NTFS is usually a one-way street and you can’t convert back to FAT32, but without knowing the specifics, it’s hard to tell what happened.

FAT32 vs NTFS

A quick study of formatting files may help you understand what is happening. There are different ways for your computer to store and organize the information it contains. NTFS stands for New Technology File System and is a format that most newer operating systems use. FAT, specifically FAT 32, stands for File Allocation Table 32 (the 32 standing for the amount of space it contains) and is often used in external hard drives. Depending on how your tech saved your files to the external hard drive, you may be able to convert your FAT 32 files to NTFS.

Find Your Format

First, you should find out what kind of formatting your drives have. To do this, go to My Computer, and then right click on the drive that you are working with - in your case, you will check both the external drive and the internal drive that you are trying to transfer the files back to. Choose Properties and then see if it says FAT 32 or NTFS. This is all assuming that your system recognizes the external hard drive.

Convert FAT Files to NTFS

There is a way to convert your FAT 32 files to NTFS. Go to Start and then All Programs, then Accessories and Command Prompt (or just go to Start and Run). At the prompt, type in convert (drive letter):/fs:ntfs. You will need to insert the correct drive letter in the command. If you want to convert the external hard drive, and the letter for that drive is e, then the command would be convert e:/fs:ntfs . If you are converting the drive that contains the operating system, the computer will have to restart - you will see an error message to that effect if this is the case. If you are getting error messages while attempting this process, you can check with Microsoft Troubleshooting for conversion problems.

Data Recovery Programs

There are a number of freeware programs out there that can help you gain access to corrupted or accidentally deleted data. Without seeing exactly what is going on with your files, I can’t say whether it will work or not, but it might be worth a try. One popular program is Paretologic Data Recovery.

Hopefully, this has pointed you in the right direction. Because your files are important, it might be worth the money to take your drive to a professional rather than risking damaging the files to the point of no return. It goes without saying, that if you are able to get your information back, you should quickly create a reliable backup for your valuable photos and other data.

Your data recovery scanner did not pick up the USB connection to my Motorola Razr Cellphone. It doesn’t show up in My Computer either and I was wondering if data retrieval is possible.

Get your Computer to Recognize your Cell Phone Connected through the USB Port

If your Computer doesn’t Recognize your Phone

It is most likely that your computer isn’t recognizing your cell phone. If this is the case, then other programs that are running on your computer - such as the recovery program you are attempting to run - won’t be able to access the phone until the computer recognizes it. Most data recovery programs can recover data from any connected device that shows up as a drive letter such as “e:\”.

Once your computer is loaded with the appropriate drivers it will recognize the phone and you can then use your software to troubleshoot the device connected to the USB drive.

Install and Update your Cell Phone Drivers on your Computer

You might need to install or update your phone’s drivers before your computer is able to work with it. The specifics and software for Motorola Razrs differ between models and location. In order to get the software you need you will have to visit the Motorola website at http://www.motorola.com/. The site will ask you for your location, which you can select from a list of countries and regions. Next, you will select your Razr model from a page of cell phone designs. Once you have specified your cell phone, click on the support or software tab to check for any drivers or other updates. Once you have determined the make and model of your phone, you can download USB drivers from Motorola here.

Motorola Phone Tools

Once you load your drivers and get your computer to recognize your cell phone you can make use of Motorola Phone Tools, a set of software programs that are available through the MOTOSTORE. Motorola Phone Tools (MPT) is available for download or can be sent as a CD-ROM if you’re ordering from within the United States. Alternatively, MPT is also available for purchase on CD-ROM at Best Buy stores in Canada and the U.S. MPT contains software that can assist you in managing your contacts and other data that you have stored in your cell phone, transfer photos and create your own personalized ringtones. The software program includes all the relevant USB drivers and makes transferring your data between phones or between phone and PC simple and easy. Additionally, the software comes with user-friendly manuals and installation guides and a frequently asked questions section to assist with troubleshooting.

Data Recovery Programs

I’m not sure which data recovery software you used so I’ll use ParetoLogic Data Recovery software as an example. Other programs should have similarities so hopefully my examples will translate if you’re using a different data recovery program.

Data Recovery comes in both a free demo version as well as a commercial, full-featured version. A “Professional” edition is also available with added features. When using the demo version of the software, you can scan your media (hard drive, USB flash drives, removable storage devices, CD-RWs, attached digital cameras, etc.) and see if the data is potentially recoverable (though you must buy the commercial product to perform the recovery). Once the scan is complete, you’ll see a list of found files that are most likely recoverable. Just as in Windows Explorer, you’ll see the file name, file size, and other details.

Data Recovery Previews

If you hover your mouse over a specific file, a small preview box appears, showing you even more details including snippets of the text or a preview of the image of the recoverable file. This is where I believe you may have seen an icon with the pair of speakers displayed. I suspect that indicates that the file in question is a sound file of some sort.

Zero Bytes in Data Recovery Previews

Now, why are your files showing up with 0 bytes? I just ran a partial scan of my own computer using Data Recovery Pro so that I could look at the data preview of my files so I could better describe the process to you. Once the scanner ran for a few seconds, I went ahead and cancelled the scan because I knew I’d be able to preview some images. Indeed, the scanner listed a number of recoverable files as expected, providing me with details, file sizes, and previews.

However, it also listed numerous files without this information - and 0 bytes. When previewing the 0 bytes files, no thumbnail preview was available. Instead, a message said, “This file may be recoverable however there is no preview available.” In this case, I believe that the Data Recovery software remembered the files from an earlier scan but hadn’t yet reached them during the current, interrupted scan. Had I allowed the scanner to complete the process, the details would have eventually filled in. The 0 bytes display could also mean that the file name was discovered, but the data is no longer recoverable. That is, new data has come along and overwritten the old data.

Repeating Information in Data Recovery Results

Data Recovery groups recoverable files into categories such as: Images, Documents, Text Files, and so on. Within the categories, the files alphabetized. You can change the way they are sorted by clicking on the category title. You may notice some files repeat. For example, my scan shows three copies of “Auto Recovery Save of Document 2.” Upon closer inspection, each one has a different date. Had I needed to recovery this data, I would likely want the most current version, though an earlier version may be preferred in some instances. Similarly, I have numerous temporary Internet files of the same name, all with different dates.

Here’s what I would do, I would re-scan the system, making sure to let the process complete. Data recovery isn’t an all or nothing solution, so once the scan is made, you can pick and choose the files you want to recover. You can also pick entire folders or partitions. Hopefully, the data that you need is fully recoverable.