Windows 10: Is it Possible to Recover Files from Windows 8->8->10?

Hi,

My boyfriend was running a bootlegged version of Windows 8. I reinstalled his Windows to a legitimate version of Windows 8 so that he could get the free upgrade upgrade to Windows 10.

When we went from Windows 8-->Windows 8, the only option the installer gave us was "Keep Nothing", so we backuped files onto an external harddrive (or so we thought), before the wipe. He had a bunch of important files on his Desktop but it turns out they were copied as shortcuts on the external harddrive and so he can't access any of these files. We didn't know this until we were already running Windows 10. So basically, we installed Windows twice on the same day, which was today.

He's extremely upset about these files he lost. They were a reflection of his undergraduate career. Is there any way to get them back? He's tried opening the windows.old folder but there's nothing there. If he were to restore to the Windows 8 that he had previously, is there any chance? Is there anything that can be done?

Experts, please help. Much, much, much appreciated.

:)

 

Is it possible to recover unsaved information from the Microsoft Notepad app?

Unfortunately no, if you didn't save it, there is no way to recover that information. You will have to start over.

 

Is it possible to recover unsaved information from the Microsoft Notepad app?

I was putting some story notes (character names, weapons, etc.) in the notepad app that comes with windows 10, but my computer automatically updates 'outside of active hours'. I came back the other day and found that when I opened the notepad app (as I assume
it had been closed to allow updates since I didn't close it myself) that all my information was gone. I didn't have the chance to save it.

Is there either the possibility that it was saved before closing, or that I can recover the information (anything at all)?

 

You posted your answer in your post Keep Nothing as windows 8.1 was bootlegged.
So nothing can be done at all.
Seems like he only brought the genuine, because windows 10 is free, when all the rest of us have run genuine windows for years or brought a machine with it already installed.

 

Your chances of recovering those files by reinstalling windows 8 is 0% and a very slim chance with a sector reader program as the files have a very high chance of being overwritten by the installs of Windows.

 

After loosing files, your chances to recover them are best, if you do no longer touch the according drive. As long, as a file "only" has been deleted, it physically is still there and it most likely can be restored. This however changes, when the sectors, in which the file had been saved, get overwritten by something else. At this point, the previous information is lost.

If you can access the drive without actually running a program on it (meaning: if you can access the drive without using the Windows installation, which is on it), then this is what you should do.

Depending on the type of harddisc, which the files were on, the situation might be slightly different: For "classic" harddiscs it is as I wrote above. For SSD harddiscs however it is somewhat worse: SSDs automatically overwrite the sectors, which had been used for deleted files. This overwriting happens at a random time, maybe directly after deletion, but maybe also later, when the disc is idle. So for deleted files on an SSD, the time, which the disc is inside a running system, is an additional factor (even if the disc is not used).

So you could try this:

• Convar has a tool called PC Inspector File Recovery. I remember that I used it some years ago; it is freeware and it could restore some files for me.
• The program Recuva by Piriform also worked for me and is free as well.
• Finally, a tool, which people often use is Disk Drill from CleverFiles; I have not used that one myself.

The restoration results of these programs may vary; if used on the same harddrive one may be better than the other.

 

I wonder if they read the rules about bootlegged etc the only reason he got a genuine one was to get a free upgrade otherwise don't think he would of bothered that is why they were probably written over and not put in windows old folder

 

Yeah, bootlegged versions are ... legally problematic to say the least. The idea to replace a bootleg with a legal version is good. The user files got deleted at the point where Windows 8 was "upgraded" to itself, to Windows 8. I doubt that Microsoft would have written the upgrade to not offer an option to keep files, because the basic installation was not activated - after all, Microsoft still gives you the possibility to simply change the Windows product key and to then activate Windows (without the need to reinstall anything at all).

 

One of the reasons for the free Win 10 upgrade is to encourage people to get legal. Why complain about it when they do?
Help if you can, don't nag about it.

diana139, where did the files actually reside, in teh Documents folder or somewhere else.

As has already been stated, the likelihood of being able to recover these files is very, very slim.

You could try a program like Recuva but I don't have much hope of it succeeding.

 

Your chances of recovering those files is very slim because overwritten by the installs of Windows. try some data recvoery software like Eecuva or EaseUS, maybe help.