The computer ate my homework

October 1, 2011 8:16 PM

I just spent a lot of time writing something and now it is gone. Please please help me.

I just typed a bunch of things into a Word Document. I had two open at the same time and was switching back and forth (some copy/paste action). I saved the amended document, but apparently I did something terribly wrong, as it is now gone. The Dropbox folder says it was modified today, but the document is not in there. When I attempted to open it the first time, I was told the file was corrupted. When I attempted to open it the second time, it was gone. Can anyone help me save three hours of rewriting this?

Details:

Typed over an old Word document and re-saved with the name of another old document (not the one I was typing over).

Folder says it was modified, but the document is missing.

posted by mrfuga0 to Computers & Internet (12 answers total)

Until someone comes along with a better answer I would check your temporary folder for the document that you have downloaded from Dropbox. Try to see if you can find your document, even if it is just the corrupted file.
posted by Revort at 8:18 PM on October 1, 2011

Try following MS's advice from this knowledge base article.
posted by axiom at 8:23 PM on October 1, 2011

Dropbox saves versions of your documents. Look at those earlier versions to find an uncorrupted one. You may lose some work, but not the entire file.
posted by prefpara at 8:29 PM on October 1, 2011 [5 favorites]

Seconding prefpara. Every time you save dropbox creates a version.
posted by drjimmy11 at 8:45 PM on October 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Here's what I have found:

1. When I search for the file in my computer's "search programs and files" box, the document does not appear.

2. When I open Word, it appears on the "recent documents" sidebar, but when I try to open it, it says the document is unavailable.

3. I have looked in temp folders and everywhere else suggested by axiom's post and other places I can think of.

4. Dropbox does not have a previous version of it saved.

5. Here's what I think happened: I had two documents open -- one I was copying into and one I was copying from. When I went to save, I wanted to save over the document I was copying from. Whatever I did saved the file as a ~ file, which I believe is a temp file of some sort. (the original was GSA minutes 9.27.11 and it got saved as ~*A minutes 9.27.11). So I think I saved it as a some sort of temporarily open file?

I appreciate all the suggestions and am still hoping to find it if you guys have more thoughts.
posted by mrfuga0 at 9:28 PM on October 1, 2011

Which version of word and which OS are you on?
posted by kthxbi at 9:34 PM on October 1, 2011

Response by poster: Windows 7 and Word 2007.
posted by mrfuga0 at 9:49 PM on October 1, 2011

Click Start
Click Run
Type 'cmd'
Type 'cd \'
Type 'dir /S firstfewlettersoflostdocname*.* /S'

...wait...

Did your doc show up?
posted by obiwanwasabi at 12:13 AM on October 2, 2011

Some possibilities - Windows 7 hides your temp folders, so it's possible that if you opened a file from dropbox, there's a copy stored in Temp, which may not be shown in a search. You have to unhide the folders to view the contents. Tools. Folder Options, uncheck Hide protected operating system files and check Show hidden files and folders

C:\Users\%your_user_name\AppData\Local\Temp
C:\Users\%your_user_name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files
posted by theora55 at 4:00 AM on October 2, 2011

Response by poster: Thanks everyone! I found it in the bowels of my Temp files and didn't need to have a nervous breakdown.
posted by mrfuga0 at 8:29 AM on October 2, 2011 [3 favorites]

Yay!
posted by kthxbi at 8:53 AM on October 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

Hooray! :)
posted by luckynerd at 11:04 AM on October 2, 2011