Folder locked and dissapeared after unlock

[RoutedScripter]

Hello , i locked a big 225 GB folder with FOLDERLOCK (never had experience with these programs and just used something plain and simple but this is a crap program obviosly)

It was very confusing, i deleted the "locker" files which are used to hide the folder and it was weird because it didn't told me how to unlock a folder , reading through the help files it was apparently the way to unlock the folder , but now the folder disappeared (not hidden), but the data is still there, not erased, but the Drive still shows used space.

I might use recovery tools , what's a good one , i used some before, and they were slow.

 

[MLG The Canadian]

What about doing a system restore to a very recent point? Would that work?

 

[RoutedScripter]

pls help guys

no i have windows recovery totally disabled , so even if i wouldn't mind to try , there's no point at all. (that's because i had experience it just wasn't working other than messing the profile files and duplicating some stuff ... did more bad than good in xp)

but i have win7 x64 now

 

[95Viper]

Well. from reading the FAQs over there, you just check and uncheck the folder/files you want to lock and un-lock. But, I guess you gotta see it first.

You can probably try Recuva or something like it to find and save the files.

Try re-installing the program and see if it, then, finds everything.

Never used it but, read the FAQs, How Tos, and tutorial. Info, in case some one needs to know what you got.

 

[Brandenburg]

If im understanding you right.. Thats the way that program works .. People cant hack your files if they "dont exist"

Just boot up the program again.. Type in the pw or master PW... and all should be good... Havent used it in awhile but I remember.. that after it encrypted you files, it hid them as well

 

[scaminatrix]

I'd guess at it being a registry key. I'd search regedit for "FOLDERLOCK" and have a scout.

Or, just use Hiren's BootCD and copy the folder to somewhere else whilst booting from Mini-XP, or any OS other than Windows 7.
You could even use an XP setup disc, and use the Repair function.

 

[MLG The Canadian]

Is it a program similar to TrueCrypt? They can be nasty if you forget passwords or delete files.

 

[RoutedScripter]

no i don't think it's smilar to TrueCrypt, it's way more "user friendly" aka dumbed down ... looks kind of "cheapo" but anyways it "was" fine for me as i didn't NEED anything else than just a simple F**** password on a folder but i didn't find any programs to do that and then this program said it "locks" files instead of time consuming encryption (250 GB ... 2 days .. ) but meh i know im lazy there should be already in windows a simple folder password , but then i just didn't bother to look for it.

 

[RoutedScripter]

Well here's something i found on this:

http://en.kioskea.net/forum/affich-475786-lost-my-files-in-folder-lock

But it doesn't work here , i don't have that folder.

Can somebody help me searching for a solution , tnx.

EDIT:

Beware, deleting the Locker will also delete all the data contained in it along with the list of locked items. However, once the Locker is deleted, the locking list is no longer useful, since all files and folders you locked will automatically get unlocked in such cases.

I did that and that's when the folder just disappeared but the data is still there, the program is very confusing about restoring files , it says that "files should become unlocked automatically" ... so where the heck are manual unlocking instructions.

It's not an encrypt , it's just a password lock , so data is all open. The problem is, i would get like 225 GB of individual files off the HDD recovery , i just want the harder way of accessing the folder but getting the folder structure , where can i find the time to SORT 220 GB of data omg.

 

[scaminatrix]

Try using another OS. The attributes probably won't be present/understood by another OS.

MiniXP? - I would have thought the folder would be present there as the attributes won't be applied.
Repair function of XP Setup CD? - You can navigate to where it is and see if it's there and copy it.

Might be worth a shot.

It's not an encrypt , it's just a password lock , so data is all open. The problem is, i would get like 225 GB of individual files off the HDD recovery , i just want the harder way of accessing the folder but getting the folder structure , where can i find the time to SORT 220 GB of data omg.

With Recuva, you can tell it to restore the folder structure. This helped me massively a few years ago lol

 

[RoutedScripter]

Ah no it's Win7 x64

And XP doesn't fix the installation , it overwrites it , why everybody says this , i was so screwed because i trusted this ... like 5 years ago ... so i don't have full memory but i remember the files were still there of course , but the whole profile along with the customizations, tweaks , registery settings , and ofourcse everything windows related was wiped


the last option is the linux live from dvd

 

[RoutedScripter]

Okay recuva finds them in the same place and ofcourse not deleted , but i have no acess to the folder (path non existent) so basically if i recover then i copy everything too. (should go for copy and delete or what)

 

[scaminatrix]

No, I just mean use the Recovery Console to navigate to where the folder is, and use the "copy" command to copy it to somewhere else. The reason I say this is because the "locked" attributes (hopefully) won't apply in the (DOS-based) recovery console, and if it shows up, you can copy it to somewhere else.
With Mini-XP, my theory is the same. Hopefully XP won't recognise the "locked" attribute that Windows 7 applied.

I certainly don't mean to re-install OS, if that's what you think I mean?

 

[RoutedScripter]

reviews on this program revelaed it is a piece of shit , and EVERYONE is reporting "losing" files (but not really deleted)


Currently i'll try to see the attribs in registery , if that doesn't work , then im going to copy with CMD or XXcopy or DOS whichever works first

 

[RoutedScripter]

AHA


When i try to navigate (CD command) to the folder CMD says "Disable path FAST IO for this operation"

 

[RoutedScripter]

ofcourse

http://www.softpedia.com/progViewOpinions/Folder-Lock-4018,.html


another possible solution , the folder becomes visible in safe mode

That's the lesson , honestly i was lazy and just picked a program , but i immediately knew it would be problematic seeing the fancy UI and terrible design in everything. This software is fraudulent.

Folks, I know this product backwards and forwards. I've used it and dealt with the folks at the home office.

This is all you have to do. Install the newest version and then lock up something with their highest level of scurity.

Go into safe mode, turn on explorer for hidden files, find the folders and, yep, you guessed it, open them ALL RIGHT UP.

THis product is for people who simply havent got a clue.

Security....laughable

 

[scaminatrix]

Wow. Safe mode. Who'd have thunk it? Man, I was worrying the program would be too good and we'd be stuck !!!