How to restore a lost file
Have you ever been deleting a file to fast with Shift-Delete? Or have any very important file been removed by a program or virus? What do you do then? Run to the shop and by some expensive data-recovery program (like this one http://www.file-recovery.net/soft.htm )? Well, it cost too much money... Here's another way you can do to recovery your files...
First of all, you need to have Windows XP with "System Restore" enabled before you deleted the file (it's on by default) or this "trick" won't work. And don't blame me if this thing doesn't work :) .
----------------------How to restore a lost file----------------------
1a. Open "Tools->Folder options" in any folder.
1b. Open the tab "View"
1c. Disable "Use simple file sharing (Recommended)"
1d. Disable "Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)"
1e. Enable "Show hidden files and folders"
1f. Press "OK"
2a. Open your "C:" drive in "My Computers"
2b. Right click the hidden folder "System Volume Information" and choose "Properties"
2c. Go to the tab "Security"
2d. Press "Add..."
2e. Write "Administrators" or the name of the user account you want to allow to restore your files.
2f. Press "OK"
<-> (You can the permission to "Full Control" or "Write" but I don't recommend it... The filesystem can break if you delete or change any important file there!)
2g. Press "OK" again to leave the "Properties" page.
<-> (Repeat 2a to 2g for all your drivers you want to be able to restore files from)
<-> This is the "restoring" step
3a. Enter "System Volume Information"
<-> You will now see a folder (folders?) with the name like __restore{*MANY CHARACTERS AND SOME '-'*}".
3b. Enter that folder
3c. Enter one of the RP folders (RP meens restore point, RP1 is the files that have been changed after your first restore point but before your second, RP2 is after second but before third and so on)
3d. Copy the file(s) you want out from this folder...
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This did maybe help you but it's absolutely not the most reliable way to restore files! This "trick" is only as good as Windows built-in "System Restore" but the good thing is that you don't need to make all your files to the "old state"... I hope this tutorial have helped at least some of you...
And the last warning, DON'T REMOVE ANY FILES FROM "SYSTEM VOLUME INFORMATION" OR ANY OF IT'S SUBFOLDERS! :)
