Windows 10: Backup program restored files that I can't find

The bottom line: Files backed up, then restored from HP's built-in backup/restore recovery partition program can't be searched or seen or found after a restore.
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I used HP backup utility built in to the recovery partition on an 8 month old HP Pavilion 590-p0050 to backup everything on a user's PC before I reloaded it using the recovery partition. (I believe WIndows 10 update f-ed it up and after booting only displayed a blank black screen).
-I watched it back up files from User\Pictures\*dates*\*photo names*.jpg... etc.
-I watched it restore said files as the restore program wrote files back to the drive - it displayed file names and paths as it went
-after restore, going to C:\Users\*username*\... It was blank. No subfolders.
-I searched in Explorer using "*.jpg*" and it showed a ton of jpgs from system folders it backed up like "Program Files (x86)"... etc, but it showed no results from the User folder.
-The backup was 9+GB of *.swm files (apparently HP's backup archive files)
-The restore was 4+GB of files
-Thinking the user maybe stopped the restore part way, I deleted the \restore\ folder to start a new restore - as I watched Explorer delete files, I see his pictures go flying by as they are deleted!
-I paused the delete and started searching for the file names that were coming up- since they were in a consecutive format, if "file_0050.jpg" was just deleted, I searched for "file_*.jpg" or "file_0051.jpg" ... etc and NOTHING. I did this several times and couldn't ever find any files in the format that was just being deleted before my eyes!
-So, now I'm restoring once again, into a different folder and I am seeing his User\Pictures\*.jpg files getting restored.

And yes, I enabled viewing hidden files.

What in the actual hairy f-ing frittatas is going on?



file "100_..... .jpg" should be right there in the middle of the search window


This is my 2nd restore attempt. There are his Pictures - in his user folder getting restored. I looked for them, there is nothing under his USER folder *at all*.
TIA!!

:)

 

Free hard drive backup/restore program?

I am looking for a free (freeware) program that will back up and restore a hard drive. I'm looking to clone a few external hard drives. If the program will backup the used space instead of the whole drive this will be awesome! Thanks for any suggestions.

 

Free hard drive backup/restore program?

Obviously you're looking for something besides your Xp Pro utility that does this?

 

Backup utility

Cobian backup will do file backups locally or to ftp, with or without encryption and compression. However it doesn't do image backups, which is really what you need if want to fully restore your system.

I've used the W7 back up program and Acronis a few times to restore a system and both work great. With Acronis though, you need to burn the recovery cd they suggest FOR EACH and EVERY machine you use it on.

One problem with W7 backup is that seems to break easily. On one machine I did an upgrade re-install and the backup utility doesn't work. No luck in trouble shooting it either. So I now rely on Acronis exclusively for image backups. But I use Cobian for file backups to ftp.