My computer was running a tad slow so I decided to do some housekeeping. I found a folder that I THOUGHT was just temporary copies of things that I had downloaded. WRONG!! I lost everything. I have been downloading free quilt patterns from the internet for WEEKS!!! Gone. Pictures of projects I have done over the last year. Gone. Who knows what else is gone. I thought if I did system restore it would bring them back. Nope. Gone. <sniff sniff>

At least I can get the internet patterns again but all my personal stuff is gone forever.

Well, that is what I get for cleaning!!! It always ends badly.

(((HUGS))) I am so sorry (((HUGS)))

Aw, so sorry!

I'm sorry MZ! :-( I have a few things saved. Let me know if there is anything I can do.

Unless you permanently deleted them, you should be able to retrieve the files you threw out.

Look to see if its in your recycle bin.

Yep, it doesn't pay to clean.

Yep, check your recycling bin on you desktop and see if it's all in there. Hope so!

Check your recycle bin on the computer, maybe it is still there, unless you emptied that too.

clean? whats clean? I can clean or quilt, but both???

Your files should still be there. Computers don't actually delete files, they just tag them as space available to overwrite. Check the trash/recycle bin, or have a techie retrieve them for you. (The things you learn from Forensic Files! :mrgreen: )

Oh I've checked. You see when I clean I thoroughly clean. My son-in-law is good with computers so when he wakes up I'm going to see if he can help but I'm pretty sure they are gone.

So, I'm busily downloading more free patterns! :-D

Gaigai is right - A techie should be able to help you retrieve them. I did something similar and a friend restored them.

its okay, life will go on and you will find better stuff to down load and new pictures to save that were better. I lost all my pics of my DD when she was born. I feel your pain. lost all the stuff on the computer last time it crashed. we still have the hard drive hubby still has to try and salvage it and another one from another computer that I crashed. me and electronics not a good mix.

Sorry you lost all your pictures, I did that to a few times and have recovered them. When files are deleted they go into a vertal file that is part of the operating system. There is software out there to recover the image files. Some of the software is free or a trial or you can buy a recovery program. It will pull up all deleted files. When I used it it brought back all images as far back as 3 years.

You can get them back, but STOP downloading stuff! When a computer deletes something, it's not actually gone, it just makes the space "available" when you download stuff, your risking having the file copied over.

Go find Bella Boo!!!! She can help you! Shes good! :thumbup:

Bella Boo Bella Boo!!! Where are you?? :lol:

there are some programs that will scan your hard drive for the files. Unless you did a reformat they should be there. I can't remember the name of them.....I used one once to get some pics off a camera card that I had deleted accidently.
I just googled file recovery and came up with a bunch of links. You don't have anything to loose by trying!

I did that, with my Itunes. I accidentally deleted my media folder. I spent Memorial weekend downloading 579 songs off of cd's and my Ipod. So as a backup I placed a copy on my husband's computer which we have networked.

I am so sorry to hear about your loss...
I did that accidentally last week while sorting my files. I will NEVER hard delete again!!!
I had lost my entire folder full of quilts - fortunately it was just that one folder and not all of my patterns...

I started to gather the links and post them on my website as well as download the projects so that I have a back up - and can help others by pattern and tutorial enabling :D

I personally think that 'thumb drives' and digital cameras are the BEST inventions of the 21st century. When you clean house, through all those files onto a thumb drive. You can pick up a 2GB flash drive for $10 bucks these days. So worth the money!

Your pictures are not gone for ever they can be recovered. If you don't understand computers then ask those who know how it works. I have been computing for over 20 years and have recovered my images when the computer has crashed or things getting deleted by accident. You don't need to add the pictures back as they are still on the hard drive. Images are stored on in what they call the picture vault. It is not easy to get to the vault and I don't know if you can fallow directions good enough to go into it and restore your images from directions! If you are looking for pity well.....listen to what people are trying to tell you!

That's so sad. My computer crash once and my machine embroidery was on it and family pics. I took it to computer store and they were able to get them back. Maybe they could help you. It cost 50.00 but well worth it. Hope they come home.

let us know if you found them

I once deleated almost all of the photos on the SD card to my camera! They were pics of our first and only (so far cruise!) Thanks to Kim Komando I was able to retrieve them!

Kim Komando has a web site with daily tips and is full of computer tech related information.

Do not download anything else onto your computer!!! until you have exhausted any and all attempts to retrieve your 'lost' work.

Like others have said - it's still there somewhere.

Good luck.

I never thought of putting them on my thumb drive <hanging head in shame> :oops:

I ran a recovery program but sadly I wasn't able to retrieve anything. The files were too damaged. Oh well, I can get the patterns back and I don't think there were that many photos lost. So, all is well. But I WILL back up externally OFTEN!!!!

Thanks for all your suggestions. It truly helped.

are the files still in your trash basket??? they should be. look there!

nope. I know computers pretty well and when I delete.....I delete.

I'm not going to stress anymore about it. Too many other more important things happening with my family. This is minimal. But I DID learn a valuable lesson :(

I'm with ya mzsooz, I learned how to permanantly delete stuff...like my ex's porn files. I tell ya I never saw a man get so mad and look so ashamed at the same time.

I got back a deleted file using this program:

http://www.piriform.com/recuva and it's free!

I hope this helps you.

Now go to box.net and open a free account. Upload any file you want to save there. Pictures too. If you need more space, go to mosey.com and open a free account and save there. I have pics saved on one and files another. One good thing about saving online is I can access any file or pic from any computer and give access to anyone to see a file or pic or just one page or one pic. I quit saving files to a flash or external drive. I pay for internet let the internet store it. I also up load all my pics to Google albums, one click in the Picasa program (free) and the pictures are safely uploaded.

I pay for Carbonite. It saves everything on my computer. A new computer, a few clicks and all my stuff is put on it right where I had it on the old one.

LOL!! Love it.

If you go to your computer's clock and set it back in time to before you deleted the pictures, it will be as if nothing happened. They will be there.

That is so sad. I hope you can get them back.

I tried this just now. I deleted a picture and waited and set the clock back and nothing happened. I'm using Vista. Maybe the date has to change?

HurhRay for Bella Boo....saving the day!

Did you look in 'trash'? You can usually click on the file in trash, then on 'move' and move it back to your desktop.

We must all remember to BACK UP! Every few months I copy my files to a CD. Even if I leave them on the computer I will still have the CD files to reload if something happens to my computer. I'll even backup my bookmarks and email addresses.

Remember computers are not perfect and they do crash! They are only machines after all.

All is not lost here a a couple of free programs you can use to try and recover your files

http://www.thefreecountry.com/utilit...recovery.shtml

http://tips4pc.com/articles/Software...to_recover.htm

best of luck

I went to box.net, and they charge
$9.95/month after your free trial.

Edit - whoops - I didn't notice the 'Lite' option. You CAN get free storage.