Windows 10: Data Recovery - Word Document Recovered, But Text Illegible

Hello and thank you in advance for any help and direction. Objective: I need to recover the content of a word document. Backstory: My Mom's laptop is dysfunctional and basically it rebooted and her Windows 10 looked like a new install and all her folders were cleaned-out, and it continued to do this seemingly every time it rebooted for updates/etc. Luckily, it initially saved them in a profile in Users so I was able to recover a lot of her stuff just searching folders. It only seemed to make this profile once so after that the laptop would still wipe itself but it would not add any new content to the profile, everything was effectively lost that was created in that timeframe. So the issue is this, basically she had a Word document a poem and it is now lost because Windows wiped everything, and it wasn't backed-up in time. Progress/Trials: [Working remotely] When I opened Word I could see the file in the history but it would not open, and I could not find the file normally looking in files, searching folders, looking at previous versions of folders - rarely were any. [Laptop now in my possession] I searched and found a data recovery software. I took it for a spin and to my excitement it did locate the file. A Word document with the right name showing about 16 kb size. However, it seems to be corrupt and won't open properly: If I open it normally it gives an error message and shows no content. I tried "Open and Repair" but it does the same thing.I tried opening it with "Recover Text from Any File" and it opens a word document with gibberish/symbols throughout and also a error message. Question: Are these symbols typically random and irrelevant or are they code that could be directly translated back? Also tried opening with Notepad and Notepad++ but all the text is gibberish. I downloaded and tried a repair software for Word and used it on the document but it says "Invalid file format" and says the document is severely damaged. Currently: I got some hope actually finding the document but it is quickly dwindling, I don't know what to do next. I don't like throwing in the personal details but I am desperate here - my Mom ill. She started writing poems and messages while she still can and then this happened, and she believes I can get it back. I tried everything I knew, I am now researching and finding the methods I didn't know, but I will look at anything to get it back as long as it works, I don't care if it requires paid services or software. I thought most of what I encountered was probably typical but I can get screenshots of whatever is needed to provide more info. Example of text from opening the file in Notepad: &#22;&#157;, º&#4; Š&#8;H&#141;&#5; }, H‰EH&#141;&#5;%£ H‰E H&#141;EðH‰D$0H&#141;E&#8;H‰D$H&#141;E ˆM&#24;¹okaxH‰D$ fD‰e&#26;‰}0fD‰e4è&#28;kÿÿ‹D$H…Àt:ƒËÿ‹Ãð&#15;ÁD$H&#3;Ãu&#24;ÿ&#21;&#143;A ‰EØ9D$L&#15;…{&#3; D‰d$LH‹L$@ÿ&#21;:< ‹D$H…ÀuÉD9d$L&#15;„:&#3; ÿ&#21;YA 9D$L&#15;…U&#3; é%&#3; L‹…ð H&#141;T$`H‹ËèÒ¿ÿÿ‹ø…À&#15;‰ò H‹

:)

 

Recovering corrupt word documents

Please explain...?

And I know this thread is abit of a spam magnet..for that I apologise.
Unfortunately I cannot attach one of the files due to they need to remain confidential.

I have tried the following:

- Several "text" recovery programs.
- I have tried using word to repair and open the documents
- I have tried opening the documents in several other text browsers - ie. Notepad, wordpad etc
- I have tried using winzip, winrar and 7zip to retreive text
- I have tried changing options in word to attempt to open the document as a draft.
- I have tried to use word to "insert text" from the document

All these things havent worked for me yet.. *Cry :cry:

 

Recovering corrupt word documents

I believe Kernel for Word repair software is a software plug for this >> Repair Word File - Repair Corrupt Word DOC/DOCX Files in a Few Clicks

But it seems that you could use this with out buying it with the inserted word "DEMO" after each paragraph of recovered text.

 

Recovering corrupt word documents

Thank you so much..I have tried the program..and it says it saves the recovered text.and when i go to the output file the document is empty.. =(

I think the student will just have to accept the enevitable..:\