Virus on XP - Reinstall but all data is missing!

[jimbojinkins]

Ok - I need help here, looks like I installed a Virus on my other computer, just so happens I have no backups or anything and NEED all the data on it!

First the INITIAL problem:
On boot up it would be stuck and not boot explorer.exe so would only show the wallpaper and nothing else, no tool bar nothing, just wallpaper.

I tried to boot in safe mode -
Once in safe mode, screen was completely BLACK, nothing else except the words safe mode around the corners like usual, but again explorer.exe seems to have been affected or something.

So with those, system restore didn't work, not even windows repair.

So from there I did a re install of windows.

I did not reformat - I installed windows in the existing partition OVER the old windows in the C Drive.

The install worked and the computer is working, but it's as if it's a brand new computer, no programs no data is able to be accessed.

The data IS THERE SOMEWHERE, I just can't seem to access it.

My C Drive shows 15gb free out of 300gb so the data is still on there somewhere, can anyone please let me know how to access the other data?

 

[jimbojinkins]

Ok , seems like all the old programs are there just not installed but

nothing in the my documents or anything from my old desktop is there, the desktop is where all my old files were.

Also, trying to access my old profile from documents/settings then user name it says access denied and properties shows that the folder is empty.

 

[jimbojinkins]

Ran a search for some of the old folders and files that were on the old desktop and that came up with nothing at all.

 

[riser]

Did you accidently install a second copy of Win XP?

 

[dunklegend]

Yeah that's what it looks like.
jimbo there's a thread named XP installed twice Help? read that and see if that's your case.

Nothing is as easy as it looks

 

[riser]

Check to see if you have a C and D: drive now.. your data might be on another drive partition.
You might be working off the D: drive while everything is on the C: drive.

 

[TheCh0s3n1]

Jimbo,

I've duplicated the same problem here on my end.

I was able to find the files by navigating to the user profile folder under Documents and Settings.

The path is <i>C:\Documents and Settings\%userprofile%\My Documents</i>, where %userprofile% is the original name (from original installation). However, I was able to find it when I entered a different user name during the new installation. I'll try this again, but this time using the original username during the installation.

_____________
<i>There are 10 kinds of people in the world - those who understand binary
and those who don't</i>

 

[sobelizard]

Locating it is half the battle. Now, using the admin or an account with admin privileges, you need to take ownership of those folders and force the settings to propagate to sub folders and files. The reason the folder size is 0 is due to your lack of access permissions. Your old files are not lost or hidden, they are protected by the sid associated with your *previous install of win xp. All you really have is a permissions issue, with is rememdied with the ownership property.

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[TheCh0s3n1]

Okay, after installing a vanilla Ghost image of XP on the drive, then placing some files into the My Documents folder, I installed XP on top of the original installation. I deleted the current Windows folder, too, for the new installation. I used the same Computer Name and the same User Account name as used in the original installation.

Naturally, I was using a Computer Administrator (type) account (not the Administrator account). Without having to use extra steps to take ownership of the files and folders, I was still able to find my files under the path I listed in my previous post. There is a new folder created under C:\Documents and Settings, leaving the original user folder intact. The new user folder appends the host name (i.e. username.computername).

Then again, perhaps I did not perfectly duplicate the problem you have experienced, Jimbo. Let us know.

_____________
<i>There are 10 kinds of people in the world - those who understand binary
and those who don't</i>