My wife did a restore? recovery? on her T410 and lost a whole lot of data. Help.

[Chadguy]

Hi,

I'm not quite certain what my wife did.  I think she said she pressed Thinkvantage and quote pressed 'yes' to restore.  But the computer is certainly not back to factory specs with no data files on it, so I hope she just did an earlier recovery, if I have the vernacular right?

Is there a way to reverse the recovery/restore that she is at now?  Most recent photos of our newborn among other valuable data was lost.

Many many thanks for all the best and I am trying to relate as best I can what 'she did.'

[nkull]

What do you mean that it is not back to factory specs?    What kind of files are you finding that make you believe that it was not taken back to factory specs?  

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor]

you can't reverse a partial recovery within the rescue and recovery environment, once the recovery is done, the old data will be wiped.

[tripplec]

I use Acronis Trueimage for my image backups to a different partition. Personally I have not see a detailed in depth document of that tool however warning should clear as well as choices before it proceeds.

Having said that. If that backup was a long time ago then what you're implying is the the Lenovo applications and/or drivers may have reverted back. If it can/will do that then running the Thinkvantage toolbox should detect its old and display updates available. At least thats what should happen if it does not then the toolbox is broken application and is not really looking at the current packages only some history files as to what was installed last (which should have been over writen along with the drivers etc). I really depends on what actually took place.

I am not prepared to use it now or likely every due to lack of info (Very detailed info on it). I did a backu which allows it to use but noticed it builds it within the same partition it backed up. to me from years of experience backing up a live partition of an OS into the source partition is all wrong and should go into a different partition. Its safer and is not affected if that partition is corrupted or lost. I don't trust it and I removed the backup via the tool a week later recovering the space.

PS: THINKING ABOUT THIS MORE IT IS LIKELY PRUDENT FOR LENOVO TO HAVE A BOIS TOGGLE TO TURN OFF THE "THINKVANGE BUTTON" SO THAT CURIOUS FINGERS DON'T ACCIDENTALLY ACTIVATE AN OVERWRITE OR WHATEVER IT DOES. CHILDREN COULD HAVE DONE THE SAME THING USING THE NOTEBOOK.

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor]

@tripplec,

there is warning in the Rescue and Recovery console telling that recovery is irreverisble.

Also, you can set a password for the Rescue and Recovery console, additionally set a password for the computer power on, and hdd.

[Chadguy]

I was asked why I think it wasn't a recovery back to factory specs.  Well, there is still files on the computer such as audio files that have been copied/downloaded recently, there are still photos taken several months ago.  What's missing primarily seems to be recent photos and recent word files.    My wife had a few folders that just vanished from the desktop. 

I believe that she had some problems on her computer and thought she was just clean up Windows 7 to make the computer run more efficiently.  She is an intelligent woman - a scientist in fact - so I suspect that she would have paid attention to dire warnings.  She only says they asked if she wants to, and she said 'yes'.'  That said we had a baby a few months back and that rattles the mind a little bit. 

Thank you kindly again.

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor]

use a software called Undelete, and see whether any of the files are recoverable.

can you explain the exact steps took? this way people can back track the steps taken and find out what happened.

[Chadguy]

Okay, so this is what seems to have happened here.

The computer told my wife when she opened the computer that the previous session shut down incorrectly.  It asked her is she wanted to restore.  She said 'yes.'   And now we have this?   

I guess her assumption was restore the previous session like when you leave internet explorer or chrome improperly.

As I said she has far from the factory specs but a lot is missing.   It seems almost arbitrary.

Thank you. 

[tripplec]

Oh Dear, thats not good. I am going to watch this thread. I have no backup via the thinkvantage tools so it won't trigger likely without something.

I gather she did not press the Thinkvantage blue botton at all then.

[Chadguy]

No, not Thinkvantage.  I misunderstood her.  It just came up and she thought because of the errant close it announced, to recover would get back any lost data, not to lose date.

Thanks again.