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Sudden Data Loss...why?

Michael1337

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Sudden memory loss, why?
The other day I was installing Elder Scrolls Online and during the proccess I noticed that some of my games and gaming applications just disapeared at the same time, such as Battlenet, Origin and Steam. The shortcuts still existed but didn't work obviously, so I checked my hard-drives and all the files for the applications and games were gone. Is the guilty one for this fault the installation of Elder Scrolls Online or is it the fact that the hard drives is 4 years old and pretty worn? Everything else in my computer is less than 5 months old. Any ideas? I've been considering purchasing new hard drives for a while but all the work that is needed to be done to get Everything installed have stopped me.
And if I do have to get new ones, will I be able to use my old Windows 7 copy on the new drive? Just to save Money you know.

So please share your ideas, if you want info about my setup just tell me, very gratefull!
 
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Check smart data on your HDD with CrystalDisk INFO and it could be some dodgy sectors. I highly doubt ESO deleted everything.

Either that or you became temporarily possessed by the mischievous Lord of B***ardlyness and proceeded to delete all your games.
 
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Check smart data on your HDD with CrystalDisk INFO and it could be some dodgy sectors. I highly doubt ESO deleted everything.

Either that or you became temporarily possessed by the mischievous Lord of B***ardlyness and proceeded to delete all your games.

I suspect the NSA
 
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Try restoring the drive to a date previous to the installation of Elder Scrolls and see if that brings your games back?
 

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And if I do have to get new ones, will I be able to use my old Windows 7 copy on the new drive? Just to save Money you know.

If you do have to get a new HD you can install your Win 7 on that HD. For OEM Windows it's tied to the motherboard.
 
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For files to disappear on a NTFS drive they have to be deleted physically, and or the MFT entry has to be erased and the file header damaged. NTFS is a journal system, which are only deleted on success of a write or copy. Run scandisk with a free space check.
 

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