Data lost off Desktop PC Hard Drive

Lee_Howden

It appears that the Hard Drive on our Desktop PC is losing data off it. This has happened a couple of times. The first time I thought I hadn't saved the audio files correctly that I'd created on Audacity.

However, yesterday my better half created a new folder on the C: drive and saved a word document in there. When she came to retrieve the file this morning, it isn't there! We definitely didn't dream creating this folder and file because the path was in the recently used file list on Windows XP.

Can anyone advise me what is happening, how I may be able to prevent it and possibly retrieve the files that are missing?

John_Gray

Have you run CHKDSK, to see if there are errors on the disk?

victor2

Search the C: drive (including all folders) for the missing file, maybe it's ending up somewhere you're not expecting it to be.
Failing that, create a new test file, with a name that you don't normally use, then search for it to see where it is. Then see if you can open it as you normally would.

Mista_C

First of all make sure any important data you need is copied off that drive onto a different drive such as a external usb one. Once you've done that check the manufacturers website to see if they have any free downloadable diagnostics tools.

It could be as simple as a file system problem which can be sorted with a chkdsk as John Gray advises (chkdsk c: /f) or it might be your drive is developing bad blocks.

googler

Lee_Howden wrote: »

However, yesterday my better half created a new folder on the C: drive and saved a word document in there. When she came to retrieve the file this morning, it isn't there! We definitely didn't dream creating this folder and file because the path was in the recently used file list on Windows XP.

can you access it via the recent documents list in word? Open the file menu, and these are up to 9 recently-used docs at the bottom of the menu.....

Lee_Howden

Thanks for the advice. We've actually tried to access the file my wife created yesterday using the recently-used docs method but it no longer resides there. Also, a search of the whole hard disk cannot find the file in question.

Luckily there isn't a great deal of important files on there. The majority of important data sits on a NAS so that we can access it on both the desktop and the laptop. I'll double check for any other files on there and then give chkdsk a run.

I'll let you know what happens

Hammyman

Lee_Howden wrote: »

Luckily there isn't a great deal of important files on there. The majority of important data sits on a NAS so that we can access it on both the desktop and the laptop. I'll double check for any other files on there and then give chkdsk a run.

I'll let you know what happens

Wow, you're a novelty here...someone who has external copies of things. Top man. :D

tronator

Hammyman wrote: »

Wow, you're a novelty here...someone who has external copies of things. Top man. :D

It doesn't look to me that he has external "copies" of his documents if they're only on the NAS.

Lee_Howden

Unfortunately chkdsk hasn't brought me any luck :-(. Just trying to defrag the hard drive now as the PC is running terribly slow. This might help.

Anybody have any other ideas?

Incidentally, there was a copy of the missing file on my wifes email as she had emailed it out after it had been created yesterday. I still want to get to the bottom of it though as another file has gone missing too.

John_Gray

Lee_Howden wrote: »

Unfortunately chkdsk hasn't brought me any luck :-(

CHKDSK is not supposed to bring you any luck - it is the main check to determine whether or not the disk is in good condition! It won't restore lost files; it just tells you if there any hardware errors on the disk, so look at the figures carefully...

fiddiwebb

I'm finding it a bit odd no other symptoms are showing if it is the HD that is the problem?