Recovering old files

[VenerableJedi]

Hi all - although I'm sure that people have fielded this question before (had a quick look via google and got millions of hits), the problem I am faced with is a little more specific, and probably a little more hopeless as well...

I'm in the final throes of writing my honours thesis, and I went back to look at one of my old chapters. When I did, I realised that something was wrong, as corrections I had made a month ago were no longer there. After a lot of yelling at my computer (made me feel a little better), I realised what I must have done. I've been saving in two places to minimise loss if a file crashes, but what it looks like I did was open one file and made all the corrections I'm now missing and save it in one place, then later I've opened up the file in the other location to make different changes and then saved this file in both places, overwriting my other changes.

Is there any way that I can access the first file from the date just before I over-wrote it? I know the date that I must have made the mistake, so if there's any way to access my computer's memory as it was at that point in time, my work should theoretically still be recoverable...if it's possible to do that.

Really hoping someone can help out with this, my email is "ohgodzines", through hotmail - if someone has a useful suggestion they can throw my way?

Thanks all...had to realise this a week before the damn thing's due, didn't I? *sigh*

 

[kimsland]

Try this one: http://www.z-a-recovery.com/unformat-tutorial.htm
It is free for up to four folder down, ie
C:\Documents and Setting\UserName\My Documents\My Documents
1,2,3,4 folders down

Also no need for email in your post, please edit it out (unless you want spam ?!)

 

[Tedster]

there are tons of file recovery programs out there. Many free. The problem is the older files will get corrupted when over written. While some of these recovery programs may resuscitate older versions, they may be corrupted and/or unreadable. The problem gets worse the farther back you go in time. I suggest in the future, back up your files offline or to a separate device - especially if you revise frequently.

 

[DelJo63]

a better procedure will help in the future;
Open/Edit/Save to one known location for each original document
(ie the master copy only exists in one location).

At the end of your editing session, use some replication tool (like Allway Sync)
or even just COPY the master to a secondary location (preferably on some other media device, eg other physical HD)