Comments on: Undelete after a copy/paste error?

Question: Undelete after a copy/paste error?

YoungAmerican — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:40:21 -0800

I lost a big file in a cut-and-paste snafu. Help!

Yesterday I did an interview for my radio show, which generates a big (600+ meg) wav file. Today, I was getting ready to upload it to my FTP server so my editor can edit it. In FireFTP (FTP client for firefox), I cut the file along with another related file, and pasted them into a folder. It asked me if I wanted to overwrite the existing file (there was no existing file), so foolishly, I clicked yes. I got an error that said "error copying file" or something along those lines... and my files were gone. Not in the new folder, not in the old folder. I downloaded a file recovery program to another HD and am running it now. Is there anything else I can do? I'm using XP.

By: lester

lester — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:49:56 -0800

did you check for an 'undo' option? might be too late now.

By: YoungAmerican

YoungAmerican — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:54:14 -0800

I did, and couldn't find one. And it wouldn't let me paste again.

By: judge.mentok.the.mindtaker

judge.mentok.the.mindtaker — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:59:24 -0800

You're screwed -- likely you cut the file and then accidentally uploaded it to the same location. So when it went to start writing the file "poof" the original is gone due to fireFTP trying to write to the same file it was reading.

Here's a serious pro tip. For any files larger than like 100megs especially ones that are really important to you, copy the file first, then verify it. Then delete the source. The real "end around" here is just safe practices.

By: YoungAmerican

YoungAmerican — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:09:41 -0800

Well shoot.

By: theora55

theora55 — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:14:45 -0800

try a data recovery tool . May or may not work on a large file; worth a shot.

By: yerfatma

yerfatma — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:33:35 -0800

It should still be around. This isn't an uncommon occurrence, so there are plenty of ideas online. This looks like a good starter. If it's still intact, a 600mb file is big enough that it should be easy to find.

/stares at serious pro tip. in my pants.

By: yerfatma

yerfatma — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:45:11 -0800

Well, first off it's a solution that can only come after the problem. It doesn't fix the problem. Moreover, you asserted the file was gone, even though that's not how file systems work. On top of that, even with the monster rig I have, copying and pasting files over 100 megs is slow enough that the idea of doing it twice everytime makes me ill.

By: bottlebrushtree

bottlebrushtree — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:13:53 -0800

If this was Vista (no help to you know, but maybe to someone else) you can get "previous" versions of a file back even in cases like this. It has saved my bacon a couple times now.

Small chance, did you check your Trash?

By: judge.mentok.the.mindtaker

judge.mentok.the.mindtaker — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:43:40 -0800

yerfatma -- his description suggests that there was an overwrite situation, making a complete recovery unlikely at best.

please don't be a dick, and then cover it up with more dickery.

By: phllip.phillip

phllip.phillip — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:53:48 -0800

really try a data recovery program. If you have not done too much try to reeopen the forlder and hit control+Z, also try searching for any information you knew was in the file, tags etc.. It is guaranteed that file is still there, just DON'T change anything. I believe you can find it. start looking. Try recuva. I have my fingers crossed.

By: yerfatma

yerfatma — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:25:52 -0800

his description suggests that there was an overwrite situation

On the folder he sent it to perhaps, but not the location he had it previously.

By: Outis

Outis — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:37:01 -0800

Look around for those weird ~D107SSTS.TMP that are hidden. You might find an older quick save version.

(I'm a mac user, it's been a while since PC. However, I did this a few months ago for a friend's grad school paper.)

By: Outis

Outis — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:38:42 -0800

Ignore that, wasn't thinking. Only works with Office files.

By: deezil

deezil — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:34:11 -0800

http://www.recuva.com Try that