Windows 10: Recovered .txt Files Have Scrambled Code and Meta Data in Contents.

Noninvasive · Mar 20, 2021

I accidentally deleted some .txt and .rtf files from two thumb-drives. I have tried both EaseUse and Lazesoft recovery and both programs managed to retrieve the files with the same results. They all have good names written properly in English. Open them and they have encoded contents! Some of them begin with metadata, and things which have no place in the file (such as the directory folder name they were in or file name and extension; How did that get into the file? ). If they were really damaged data, why are all the hundreds of file names in perfect condition?

Their content seems to be written in a different language, complete with paragraphs, some sort of computer gobbltyguk. Some of them are partially normal with real English programmer tags < stuff here in English > , and/or metadata inserted before the content continues... as it should, in normal English.

So... are they really gone? or this an encoding problem? Why do they begin with information that does not belong in them such as their files extensions and real code written in brackets <>.

Is there some way to decode this back into English?

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zebal Posts : 661 Windows 10 Pro x64 20H2 (Build: 19042.867) New 38 Minutes Ago #2
Can you zip up and attach just one file that you think does not contain anything personal or sensitive? [/quote] My Computer[/i] You need to have JavaScript enabled so that you can use this ...

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System Manufacturer/Model Number: MSI / MS-7B29
OS: Windows 10 Pro x64 20H2 (Build: 19042.867)
CPU: Intel i3 8100 @3.6Ghz
Motherboard: H310M PRO-VDH (MS-7B29)
Memory: 1 x 16GB DDR4 @2400 MHz
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Posts : 25 Windows 10 (64) Thread Starter New 23 Minutes Ago #3

UPDATE: I'm discovering now, that they have the wrong names. The bits defiantly got pushed. I've got personal stuff in these business tiles.

and... there is business in all these personal things.

@zebal apparently not, the titles are... no longer accurate. I'll try to find something but it'd be a guess.
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zebal Posts : 661 Windows 10 Pro x64 20H2 (Build: 19042.867) New 16 Minutes Ago #4

Good luck with you issue, you'll have to trust someone (or something) to at least diagnose why this happened.
Apparently you already trusted some programs, so that may be the answer why such things do happen.

1. It could be bad USB (unlikely because you mentioned 2 sticks)
2. It could be ransomware (very likely - it encrypts data and ask for payment)
3. It could be bad encoding such as BOM (less likely)

Did anyone ask you to pay for recovery?
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My Computer[/i] You need to have JavaScript enabled so that you can use this ...

My Computer

Computer Type: PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model Number: MSI / MS-7B29
OS: Windows 10 Pro x64 20H2 (Build: 19042.867)
CPU: Intel i3 8100 @3.6Ghz
Motherboard: H310M PRO-VDH (MS-7B29)
Memory: 1 x 16GB DDR4 @2400 MHz
Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce GT 1030 2GB SDDR4
Sound Card: Realtek VEN_10EC&DEV_0887 / NVIDIA VEN_10DE&DEV_0081
Monitor(s) Displays: Acer V226HQL
Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Keyboard: Mechanical Gaming Hydra R7 - Rampage
Mouse: Verbatim Model:49041
Case: Everest 551B
Hard Drives: SSD 500 GB Crucial MX500 / HDD 1 TB TOSHIBA DT01ACA100
Internet Speed: Down: 28Mbps / Up: 19Mbps
Browser: Microsoft Edge Chromium 89.0.774.54 (Official build) (64-bit)
Antivirus: Windows Defender 1.333.417.0
Other Info: NIC: Realtek PCIe GbE RTL8111/8168/8411

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Posts : 25 Windows 10 (64) Thread Starter New 3 Minutes Ago #5

Okay, here's two with contents that don't match their titles. These are clear enough to read. https://mega.nz/file/o4lEWR6J#PP29jl...EcsqF89tciyxSs
https://mega.nz/file/808GnJYL#zfYHgl...s3tGZBWIOg0-B0
They are not very good examples of the unreadable characters, which I'd be more hesitant to share.

- - - Updated - - -

Here's a copy of a note which I'd recently written into a .txt file.
It now contains only this:

< x s l : f o r - e a c h s e l e c t = " @ a d v a n c e d - o p t i o n s " >

< m e t a k e y = " F 8 " a c t i o n = " a d v o p s " / >

< m e t a k e y = " F 1 0 " a c t i o n = " b o o t o p s " / >

< / x s l : f o r - e a c h >

< x s l : f o r - e a c h s e l e c t = " @ n o k e y b o a r d - r e c o v e r y - o e m " >

< m e t a k e y = " W I N D O W S " a c t i o n = " r e c o v e r o e m " / >

< / x s l : f o r - e a c h >

< x s l : f o r - e a c h s e l e c t = " @ k e y b o a r d - r e c o v e r y - o e m " >

< m e t a k e y = " E S C " a c t i o n = " r e c o v e r o e m " / >

< / x s l : f o r - e a c h >

- - - Updated - - -

Did anyone ask you to pay for recovery?
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Nope, just me, and that's free.
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OS: Windows 10 (64)

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zebal Posts : 661 Windows 10 Pro x64 20H2 (Build: 19042.867) New 1 Minute Ago #6

Okay, here's two with contents that don't match their titles. These are clear enough to read. https://mega.nz/file/o4lEWR6J#PP29jl...EcsqF89tciyxSs
https://mega.nz/file/808GnJYL#zfYHgl...s3tGZBWIOg0-B0
They are not very good examples of the unreadable characters, which I'd be more hesitant to share.
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Just to make sure, this are original files? you did not copy/paste text to another file and you did not modify those files in any way?

Otherwise it would be useless data.

:)
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dark2099 · Mar 20, 2021

Generating a .txt based file list in Windows 7

I want to be able to generate a .txt file that lists all the files and folders in a specific folder on my PC, but don't know the name of any programs that do that. Searched on google a bit and came up with this guide, but it's for XP and I can't seem to find some of the folder options to modify the .bat file. Any suggestions? Thanks

http://www.theeldergeek.com/file_list_generator.htm

EDIT: The .bat file will do what I want if it is in the folder I want to do it in, but the option I want to add is having the right click option that it shows.

Windows 10: Recovered .txt Files Have Scrambled Code and Meta Data in Contents.

Recovered .txt Files Have Scrambled Code and Meta Data in Contents.

Recovered .txt Files Have Scrambled Code and Meta Data in Contents.

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