Help with recovering my "Health" Favorites folder

I just spent quite a bit of time using this site's search engine to see if there were already any threads about the topic that I am about to post about. I found several threads and related threads on the topic, but I'm not sure if any of them actually offered the help that I need to resolve the problem that I am having. But listen up. Here's what happened:

I was performing a scan with one of my protection programs(I can't recall which one it was or wheter it was an anti-spyware/malware scanner or an anti-virus scanner) but anyway, the scanner found something that looked like this:

C:\Documents and Setting\Owner\Favorites\Health

and indicated that it was a threat to my computer. Well thinking that it was only a website that was in my "Health" Favorites folder, I went ahead and trusted the scanner and deleted the supposed threat. Well I came to find out about a week later that my entire "Health" folder was missing from among my other Favorites folders. Well, I was rather disappointed by this because over the years, I had collected a lot of good and useful health articles and sites in that folder....however, now they are all gone. But I didn't feel like I was down for the count just yet and did a Yahoo and a Google search on recovery recovering retrieving deleted files from recycle bin. Now I found this recovery program:

http://www.freewarefiles.com/pandora-recovery-v_program_30715.html

and installed it, however, I'm not really sure if I used it correctly, but I used several words and combination of words ranging from the word "health" to "C:\Documents and Setting\Owner\Favorites\Health" to perform a search, however, the program couldn't find the lost "Health" Favorites folder that I was looking for.

Now if anyone could offer any suggestions as to how I can recover my lost "Health" Favorites folder, I would really appreciate it.

P.S. Also, I wanted to mention that I use CCleaner to clean my files on my compluter and in the week before I noticed that my "Health" folder was missing, I had ran CCleaner several times. However, I had it's Secure Deletion Settings on "Normal File Deletion" which is only 1 pass.

 

The makers of CCleaner have an app named Recuva that may help.

Do a scan of the entire drive for all deletions and see if it can be found.

Other than that you could check and see if your security app that deleted the folder has placed it in quarantine.

 

Thanks, Franklin. I'll try the Recuva, but I checked the quarantine lists of all my security programs(I don't remember which one detected the folder as a threat), but the missing folder isn't in any of those quarantine lists. Therefore, either the security program deleted the missing folder, or the security program is no longer on my computer.(See my next post.)

 

I did try a system restore, but it didn't work. Also, checking to see if it's in quarantine is a little bit more complicated than it sounds. Actually, around that time when the security program detected the folder as a threat, I was using a trial of CA Antivirus which was about to expire. After it finally expired, I uninstalled the program. However, I'm not sure if it was the CA AV program that did the scan, but if it was the program, I'm guessing that all the files associated with it are now gone. Also, if I recall correctly, I believe that whichever security program that did the scan, that program deleted the folder instead of putting it into quarantine.

 

Franklin, I installed Recuva and scanned the entire C: drive, however, I couldn't find the lost folder. I also even copied & pasted: C:\Documents and Setting\Owner\Favorites\Health into the "Filename or path" slot in addition to the word "Health" and still couldn't find the folder. But, I was wondering if you or anyone else had any other suggestions. Also, when you said to do a scan of the entire drive for all deletions, what exactly did you mean by "all deletions"?

 

It doesn't appear that anyone could give me anymore help. However, I have a question that hopefully someone can answer....Why would any computer protection software program stake out an entire Bookmark/Favorite folder as if it were some sort of a malware infection? I can maybe see a bookmarked site in that folder, but the entire folder?

Also, I wanted to mention that one of the really disappointing thing about this whole matter is that I periodically export all my Favorites folders to a CD-RW, however, before I had discovered that my "Health" folder was missing, I had exported my Favorite folders, minus the missing "Health" folder onto my CD-RW, which already had my "Health" folder on it, but because I exported my current Favorite folders onto a CD-RW, my current Favorite folders, minus the missing "Health" folder, replaced the Favorites folder information that was on my CD-RW.

P.S. BTW, I also recently discovered that my "Cars" Favorite folder is now missing. But, I absolutely don't have a clue on that one.

 

Hi RCGuy. Try SoftPerfect File Recovery and Undelete Plus. Both are free and have a portable version.

Here's a free manager for Windows My Favorites Folder.

When you uninstalled CA, did you get a prompt asking whether to delete all backup/quarantined files or not? If you said no, the files are probably still there. However, I think you need to reinstall CA (exact version) to restore the files since they are encrypted and named with random characters.

I believe most security applications create a backup of a threat before either attempting to clean or delete it. So I suggest you check the logs of all your security apps and see if they have an entry pertaining to C:\Documents and Setting\Owner\Favorites\Health.

thanatos

 

Wonder if those folders may have been hidden?

Have you tried Tools - Folder Options - View tab - Show hidden files and folders, and untick - Hide protected sys files.

 

I to am wondering if those files have been marked somehow hidden or denied access.

I've had mixed results with free data recovery programs, some good some so-so. The data recovery software I like for home is GetDataBack and DiskExplorer. They are around the $60-$70 mark but have a free demo (without a recover.) You could use it to see if it can be found, then the question is how much that data is worth to you - do not install the program on the medium you want to recovery from!

 

Geez, it's been more than a month since I've posted in this thread and I'm just now making another reply. Shame on me.

And thanatos_theos, I really like the Undelete Plus program, but unfortunately, it didn't find my lost favorites folder. Also, concerning the CA uninstall, I don't remember whether or not I got a prompt asking me whether or not I wanted to delete all backup/quarantined files. If I did, I know that I would have said no. However, I'm not sure if I can resinstall CA again because I was using the trial version and used up all my trial time. But I will try. Also, as far as my other security applications are concerned, in post #5, I explained that "I believe that whichever security program that did the scan, that program deleted the folder instead of putting it into quarantine." And BTW, thanatos, if you don't mind me saying so, you're new avatar is a bit of an...um, eye sore.

And Franklin, I tried Tools - Folder Options - View tab, but on my system, I don't have a "Hide protected sys files," however, I do have a yellow folder that says "Hide files and folders" and underneath that there are two categories with circles that can be ticked in front of them and one of the categories was the "Show hidden files and folders," however, it was already ticked. But I guess I'm a little bit confused because I thought that ticking the circle in front of it would mean that you're activating the "Show hidden files and folders" and that unticking the circle would mean that you're deactivating it. But I believe that my "Show hidden files and folders" was already activated because I remember having to open or show those hidden files and folders for another procedure that I did. Also, I wanted to ask: Once these hidden files and folders are shown, where exactly do you "see" them at. And sorry if that was dumb question.

And sorry, Meriadoc, but your "GetDataBack and DiskExplorer" program was just a little too much of a hassle for me. But thanks anyway.

 

Well, I was able to reinstall CA again, but there was nothing in their quarantine logs for either their anti-virus or anti-spyware software. However, I would like to mention that CA has certainly gotten awfully chinchy. I guess after providing 90 day free trials and with some people deciding not to buy their product after the 90 day trial, they must have got totally bent out of shape and now they only have a 2 week trial period......along with some of the most obnoxious nagware that I've ever seen before in my life.

 

Also, I still can't understand how or why a security application would or could take out an entire Favorites folder.

 

It's not . Actually, I just realized that the blur/flash/flicker effect of my avatar might be a problem to those with epilepsy .

Follow this. Go to C:\Documents and Setting\Owner\Favorites\ and check if your Health folder is there.

Did you carefully check all folders and html files listed after running Undelete Plus? Maybe you just missed it. You can try contacting the developers for help (support@undelete-plus.com).

Did you try SoftPerfect's? They have a forum. If you're in the mood, you could try Uneraser (trial) and UndeleteMyFiles (free) also.

Other than that I guess you should start collecting from scratch or rebuilding that folder using memory . Be careful next time.

Might help : http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_favorites.htm

thanatos

EDIT:

If all of the recovery programs you used can't locate it in recycler, maybe the folder is somewhere in your machine; moved or hidden like what others said. Try using Windows Search.

You mentioned that your Cars folder is also missing. Maybe IE is deleting your folders one by one; due to low disk space or a bug. It might be possible also that someone is messing with you.

Try this:

Make a copy of your backup CD-RW, quick erase the CD then try recovering the folder (eventhough you already overwrited the folder) from the CD.

 

Well, actually, I would say that it had more to do with the, um, "bleeding" more than anything else. ... ... ...

I followed those steps, but if my Health folder had been hidden, was it suppose to have reappeared in my Favorites list after I had unhid my hidden files and folders?

I just did a scan again and I can see where I had only looked at the "Interenet Favorites" Types from the left hand column....however, I just noticed that there were "HTML Documents" that were found under the Types category on the left. But, I'm not sure if HTML documents and HTML files are the same thing. Also, there were 1431 "HTML Documents" found whereas there were only 21 "Internet Favorites" found. But I just quickly scrolled through the HTML documents and none of the "Paths" were C:\Documents and Setting\Owner\Favorites\Health.

Okay. *Sigh*

Hmmm. Now that's certainly a mouthful.

I'm sorry, but you lost me on that one.

 

You have hemophobia?

Yes, it should appear after following the steps on that site.

You have a backup CD-RW (CD 1) right? Make a copy of that CD (CD 2). Now using your burner quick erase CD 1. Use Undelete Plus or another recovery application and try to recover your Health Folder from CD 1.

I am not sure if it will work because you said you already overwrited the previous data with the new one (w/out the Health Folder). But atleast try.

EDIT: Recover a Quick erased CD RW

thanatos

 

Okay fair enough, but I don't understand the hassle.

and

You can recover by :

local network
over a serial cable
attach the drive as a second drive to another computer
WinPE boot CD-ROM

 

I don't think so. I don't really have anything against most groups or subcultures. ... ...

Well, wouldn't that mean that it's gone?

Okay, I'll give it a try if you think it might help.

 

The hassle is that I don't have another computer.

 

An interesting disaster post indeed : a destructive anti-malware this time.
Probably too late to cure it and an overwritten backup CD, which makes a restoration impossible. A chain of unexpected events leading to a disaster.
I hope the OP finds a solution to avoid this in the future.

 

Hemophobia means phobia to blood

 

Must be terrible for a vampire. Bloodpowder like Nescafé can help.

 

You don't necessarily need one as you could boot from a CD-ROM and run the data recovery entirely from there and then copy the recovered data to another drive.

 

Okay, you guys are really going to hate me for what I'm about to tell you. ....Well, guess what? Remember in post #7 when I had mentioned how I periodically export all my Favorites folders to a CD-RW? Well, actually, what I do is export the Favorites folders to a subfolder in "My Documents" folder first, and then I replace the Favorites folder on my disc with the updated Favorites folder that I exported to my subfolder in "My Documents." Okay, now here is where the good part comes in. Well, recently I had exported my updated Favorites folder to my subfolder in "My Documents"(where I replace the updated Favorites folder over the existing Favorites folder in "My Documents) and guess what I realized? I realized that a little while back ago that I had made a duplicate copy of my Favorites folders in my subfolder in "My Documents." Well, that duplicate copy of my Favorites folders had never gotten updated and to be quite honest with you, I had always overlook it whenever I go the one subfolder in "My Documents." However, when I recently went to that subfolder after I had recently exported my Favorites folder, I noticed the duplicate Favorites folder sitting there, hidden in plain sight. And of course I double clicked on it...and lo and behold! .....Not only was my "Health" folder there, but my "Car" folder was there also. But I still can't believe how I overlooked that duplicate folder for the last several months.

But anyway, I now have access to the files to both of the Favorites folders that I lost(minus the files that I bookmarked after I saved the duplicate folder in "My Documents"). Although, I now have the tedious chore of recreating those folders in my Favorites folder and individually adding each bookmark link to those folders.

Erik, I was thinking about what you said about a destructive anti-malware this time, however, I was just thinking that if an anti-malware application was responsible for destroying my "Car" and "Health" folders, then why didn't it find those folders in my "My Documents"? Also, sorry to show my ignorance, but what is an "OP"? Also, I was thinking about what thanatos_theos said in post #14 about how maybe IE is deleting my folders one by one due to low disk space(I do have a rather large Favorites folder, but if by disc space he is talking about hard drive space, my computer has a 100 GB capacity) or how it might be possible that someone is messing with me. And I guess because I have grown to become somewhat of a suspicious person over the years, and I guess because I have also grown to become somewhat paranoid when it comes to the internet and internet security(although I guess most of us who take the time to come to this forum, are apparently like that also...to varying degrees), I view what thanatos_theos said about how someone may be messing with me as a possible option.

I know, Lucas. I just couldn't resist the play on words.