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XP Reinstall wiped profile data!

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919 views 3 replies 2 participants last post by  petronius  
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#1 ·
I recently reinstalled windows XP to a different directory on the same partition (new sysvol name is "winsys"). After installation I logged in and noticed that all my old profiles were still there as planned. However...upon inspecting the old profiles I learned that all the folders were empty! The entire folder structure is there but they are totally cleaned out!

I don't have a complete backup of that stuff and of course I am starting to panic. I don't understand why the windows installation needed to wipe all the data out of the user profiles.

Is it hidden somewhere? I probably had 1gb just in pictures but the size of the folder is only 49mb (an odd number considering they are all empty).

Did the reinstall move them into a hidden archive? The folder options are set to show hidden and system files.

I've been in IT for more than 10 yrs and have never encountered this...I have absolutely "no clue" what to do about it.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

John
:sigh:
 
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#2 ·
Even though you installed Windows to a different directory, the Documents and Settings folder (where the profiles are located) winds up in the same place, the root of that partition.

Stop where you are, and slave the drive in another machine (don't boot to it, though).

Download the trial version of Recover It All. Install it on the host machine's drive, and run it to see what data it can recover from your drive (ensure that the host machine has enough free space to accept the recovered files). If RIA looks like it found your stuff, then buy the Pro version ($99) - it's worth it (very good app, btw ... I've made some good $$$ using it :grin:)
 
P
#3 ·
Chevy,

I will take your counsel and try RIA. However; I am still unclear as to why the windows installation would preserve the folder structure in the profiles but wipe all the data out of them.

Thanks
 
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