I am devastated, and probably angrier than I have ever been in my life!

[HomekeepingGran]

I don't understand how he would have the nerve to delete files from someone else's computer. This is incredible. I hope you get your files back. Do let us know what happens with this. I think we are all interested...

[Craw]

Oh my! I agree w/Amy, don't use the computer! The files are there but the more you use it the greater the chance of writing over the files you want to recover. If you have access to another computer use that one. I wouldn't even try a system restore myself, mainly because I don't know what I'm doing w/that. I'd give the whole thing to an expert and let them try, no matter what the cost because heck, I'd be making the idjit (ha ha! love that word!!!) pay for it. AOL wouldn't be always running unless you tell it to (which is quite convenient most of the time). If the idjit knew what he was doing he could have changed your preferences without having to delete anything. Hope you get your patterns and photos back. WHEN you do (not if, must stay positive!), transfer to CD 2x so that you have 2 copies and you will never again cry over a lost file.

[boksie]

I'm so sorry.

[Taffyrn]

I had a complete crash and many things were overwritten, but the program was able to get most everything back....

 

check it out here.... you can try it first and only buy it if it works...

 

http://www.recovermyfiles.com/

 

also use the computer as little as possible til you let the program do the recoverey... otherwise windows overwrites and could make it hard to restore.....

 

goodluck

[EMedley]

oh no, Id be ******!!!!! Specially since me and my DH play WoW and you do NOT have to have AOL running while playing(unless aol is your internet provider). I usually close out my AIM and even then, you seriously, unless your like hardcore like my DH, cannot tell the difference in speeds! You don't just come into someones house and delete things without asking...oh dear....what a dummy

I really hope you can get if anything, those pictures back =( Sometimes for the internet I am lucky i have the history file set to collect the internet sites for like 6 months.

[EMedley]

I would recommend for you to get an external hard drive or possibly a big big flash drive and save any of YOUR things on there from now on. My hubby has one and its pretty darn nice, specially since his laptop just took a you know what, and it barely works. Im very very very thankful he also got me my own computer for Christmas last year, so he is HARDLY on mine. I also bookmark everything now. You should be able to restore the files so long as they have not been overwritten.

[shannie_nae]

I'm very sorry to hear about this! I can't believe this happened. My hubby is paranoid about backups, but he is an IT worker for a living, so I asked him for some suggestions. Here is what he told me.

 

If you have system restore enabled, use it immediately! Select a date from before the game update was installed. If you don't have system restore enabled (which many people do shut off for good reason), you can get a free file recovery tool that is spyware free and works very nicely. It is called Undelete Plus and you can find it here:

http://lifehacker.com/photogallery/LH-Top-10%7C-Free-System-Recovery-Tools/1718029

 

My husband has used this product several times in the past, with 100% success each time.

 

As for AOL, you can download that for free from AOL.com, so that would be a quick fix for that. Also, he suggests either getting an external hard drive to back up your patterns, or burn them to CD or do both.

 

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me and I will ask him.

 

Good luck!

[Empress Busy Bee]

I'd be angry and screaming, too even if the patterns were free.

Even if he was right about why he deleted it, he was not right to do it on someone else's computer at least not without asking first.

 

Everyone is right, the files are on there somewhere. This is the simplist thing and you probably already did it, but have you checked your trash bin? Sometimes deleted things end up there. If they're not, do like everyone said and call an expert. I don't think I'd let this 'friend' near your computer again.

 

External hard drives are great. We have one. They are not fool proof. You still need to back up because they do crash.

 

[Nonie]

I don't blame you a bit - I would be so angry too. Please keep us updated to see if any can be retrieved.

Nonie http://noniesblankets.com

P. S. We have a 'family share file' where we can all access some things in case one of the computers go down. This might be helpful for some people. The family uses it for our photos, etc.

[papersmiles]

Oh my word, how awful for you. I sure wouldn't let that "bozo" within a country mile of my computer again no matter whether he "thinks" he can get the files back or not. He screwed up royally and doesn't seem to feel any remorse whatsoever. I agree about taking it to an expert and BILLING the "gamester" guy for the repair bill. Sheesh, what a schmuck!!!!!!

[tryptikangel]

OMG! I would kill my husband if he ever did that to me.... then again, my hubby is the one who works on all our computers so he knows better than to delete stuff on mine without my permission first. I asked him if there was a way to recover your files, and he said

 

"if you have Norton's system tools installed, it has it's own trashbin which backs up the trashbin. oh, and if the stuff was deleted, and then a game installed (which filled the drive) then the old data would be long gone"

 

I'm sorry I can't give you any good news right now. But, maybe between all the crocheters here you can recover a good chunk of your patterns? As for the person you know longer have contact info for to get your parents pictures.... I'm not sure why you don't have contact with them, but perhaps you can contact someone who may know them to ask on your behalf or get you contact info? I wish there was more I could do for you.

[kittyloverdeb]

I feel horrible for you but also very positive from reading all the posts that it may be "fixable"! This has also taught me that I need to get a flash drive to back up my files! Can someone out there tell me if this is hard to use? How does it work? Do you have to go into each file individually?

[crs5]

I'm really sorry what happened to your patterns. I would be screaming!!!!!!

 

But I was saving alot of my patterns on word, I was really afraid about my computer crashing and losing my patterns, but I just deleted all of them from word and put them all on a flashdrive.

 

Carol:hook

[texasredhead]

You can go back to a prior date and retreive your lost items. I have done that. You might need an experienced computer person to do that for you, but it can be done. Sometimes the items are in your trashcan, if the guy only just put them there. Look in there and you might find them. I would be sooooooooooooooooooooooooo mad if my DH let anyone load anything onto my computer!!!!!! Those games take up a lot of memory, and if you have your memory filled with patterns, that is why the game didn't work right. I print out all of my patterns, and have them in a folder. I don't trust keeping them on the computer. Sorry this happened. I would be mad too!!!

[mellybelly]

WOW....I would make sure that DH and his friend NEVER, EVER live this down!

Good luck getting the patterns back...surely with all the advice thats been posted, something will work. DH is really anal about his computer...he deletes EVERYTHING if he doesn't know what it is, or thinks that 'I don't need it'. So, I've gotten in the habit of downloading things, then immediately uploading them to http://www.box.net. Its an on-line file storage system. They offer a free 'file box', but it doesn't hold very many files. You have to pay for the bigger ones.

Here's LOTS of 's coming your way!

[Empress Busy Bee]

This has also taught me that I need to get a flash drive to back up my files! Can someone out there tell me if this is hard to use? How does it work? Do you have to go into each file individually?

Flash drives are easy to use.

You should have a port in the front of your computer to plug in the drive, depending on how new your computer is.

Plug it in. It should open by itself, if not just open it. Open your files. Highlight them all then drag to the opened drive. If you think you have too many, highlight some and drag a few at a time.

[crs5]

They are soooooo easy to use. I learned about this little device by my son, who came home with it from college. They gave him one on his first day of school.

 

Carol:hook

 

Flash drives are easy to use.

You should have a port in the front of your computer to plug in the drive, depending on how new your computer is.

Plug it in. It should open by itself, if not just open it. Open your files. Highlight them all then drag to the opened drive. If you think you have too many, highlight some and drag a few at a time.

[mescovedo]

Flash drives are awesome! I used these to save my patterns on to. Very easy and portable and they hold a lot!

[dragonpuck]

Flash drives are awesome! I used these to save my patterns on to. Very easy and portable and they hold a lot!

 

yes but they often crash-- have had it happen twice

 

 

if you want something practically forever copy it to a disc( cd or dvd)

[canter]

Those patterns are still in your computer!! Look in your recycle bin to see if they are there. A lot of times I will just move unwanted icons into the recycle bin. Also, a computer restore might help and look into your computer programs via the control panel. If you can't find them, take it to a shop who can pull those files out for you. I had some genealogy info on my computer when it decided to crash, I know how you are feeling, but the computer shopt was able to recover every file for me! Don't cry....they are there in your computer. You tell dh to never, ever let anybody touch your computer again!

[dmcrochets]

I hope you're able to get your patterns back.

[lpgeorge123]

 

That's like going through someone's house and throwing away thinks you think they don't need.

 

That's a great way of comparing. I think computers are very personal things. Why would anyone go through and delete files on someone else's computer without asking about it first? That's way beyond rude.

 

I'm really sorry you lost you patterns. I would be incredibly upset too. I hope you find a way of getting the patterns back.

[Crochet Garden]

Did you save the files to your hard drive, or on somewhere on AOL? If you saved them within AOL, you should be able to access them. First, make sure the person did really delete AOL. They may have only deleted the shortcut icon on the desktop. Usually to uninstall, you have to actually click the uninstall button and go through the motions. Check in Start ---> Programs and look for aol. If you saved them to AOL, and you think AOL is definitely gone, call AOL or wirte their support to get AOL back on and confirm with them the files are still there. They should be if they were saved on the server.

 

If you saved them to your hard drive, as a few people said and just like Amy said, System restore will not help you. That only has to do with the "foundation" of your computer, your registry files etc. Not with actual files, like emails, documents etc.

 

And like others have said, the files are still there. It is kind of like the Tetris of 2 levels. The bottom line being your patterns. They are still there until something gets on top and knocks it out. The only way to retrieve it is with a program. They are simple to use. If you are wanting to try it, I would say, get an external hard drive, and when you go to retrieve data, have it save to the external. If you have the program run on the same hard drive, you risk writing over things you are trying to retrieve.

 

I hope this helps some.. there is hope

[Gr8ful Momma]

I have to say 1. sorry and 2. some how that game would end up deleted

[hey let's go]

I'm so sorry for what happened! If I were you, I would have strangled the guy. I hope you are able to recover your files. My computer crashed a few months ago, so I know how you feel.