retrieving a vanished web pdf from my cache
November 2, 2015 1:18 PM   Subscribe

I opened a PDF file in Chrome from a link in a Google search a couple of weeks ago. I didn't save the PDF but I need it! Can I get it out of my old files somehow? It doesn't seem to be in my downloads and the Wayback Machine doesn't have anything.
posted by chaiminda to Computers & Internet (6 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
As a last-resort option, you may be able to recover it by typing "chrome://cache/" in the address bar. The interface is terrible and you'd need a hex editor to reconstruct the file most likely, but the option is there.
posted by Aleyn at 2:01 PM on November 2, 2015


The place where the files get stored is outlined here (note I had to go two directories deeper on my MacOS machine, into Default/Media Cache, but YMMV). Be warned that Chrome does not store them with any usefully-identifiable file names. In fact, they are even lacking .pdf extensions, so you need to do some work to try to recover what you're looking for (see info here, which is specific to Ubuntu, but the general strategy will apply to all operating systems).
posted by Betelgeuse at 2:08 PM on November 2, 2015


This page promises to parse the ugly, ugly data that comes out of looking at the chrome://cache/ page.
posted by Betelgeuse at 2:12 PM on November 2, 2015


Response by poster: Betelgeuse, I was able to complete the first step (found the cache folder on my computer) but I don't understand how to find the right file. Downloaded this program but though that lists all the files, the one I want isn't there. Maybe it's just gone.
posted by chaiminda at 2:30 PM on November 2, 2015


I don't want to pry, but we might be able to help find it somewhere else if you could give us the name of the PDF, some idea of the content, etc.
posted by gregr at 5:48 PM on November 2, 2015


If you haven't dumped it, it should still be in your browser history. If it isn't there, go here and search for "pdf." If you opened it using Chrome, it'll be there.
posted by irisclara at 9:42 PM on November 2, 2015


« Older Play music from NAS to desktop speakers via…what?   |   I know, I know, it's cereus Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.


Tags

Share