Files Deleted During Failed Windows Update

[BondExtreme]

I worked on a video project last night. Got it edited and rendered. My work for the night was done... So I put my computer to sleep when I went to bed. It turned itself on at 3:00A.M. for the windows update installations. It woke me up and without thinking, I just turned my computer off via power button. I probably just thought it was 4AM and thought it was done with the installation. Who knows though... Like I said, I wasn't thinking when I awoke and normally people don't at that time anyway

Now to get to the point. A few of my video projects that I worked on were completed erased when I did this... I am looking at the system restore points and the only available is the 3:00am (failed) system update and a few other windows updates restore points on the 10th of January.

I didn't try the restore points on the 10th but I did try the 3:00am restore and that did not recover the video file.

So now is there a way to retrieve these video files at all or is system restore my only hope even though I am not getting anywhere? Thanks

 

[Steevo]

its probably there but you need to use a disk file recovery tool to fetch it, it may not have been written to the journal, or to the MFT index before you shut it down.

Try running a chkdsk with only top option checked.

 

[twilyth]

So you actually finished what you were working on and saved the files, or the software was supposed to auto-save for you? Or were you letting the jobs run so you never had the chance to save?

What software were you using?

 

[Static~Charge]

If you saved your video projects, they should be on the drive (barring any file system corruption). You can give Recuva a try:

Accidentally deleted an important file? Lost something important when your computer crashed? No problem! Recuva recovers files deleted from your Windows computer, Recycle Bin, digital camera card, or MP3 player. And it's free!​

Download the portable version on another PC, unpack it on a flash drive, pop the drive in the trouble machine, and run it off the flash drive. You want to make as few changes to the hard drive as possible before running the recovery program.