How To Migrate Files to new Hard Disk after Virus

[Duckiedee]

I recently had the dreaded Windows Security Virus and it crashed my hard drive - apparently my drive was getting old and breaking down anyways so I got a new hard drive and had someone install Windows 7 from XP and move everything over.

However - all that's there under "Old Files" are links to Web sites I frequented - NONE of my old files, pictures or E-mails can be found. Or at least I can't find them...

Is there hope? Is there some secret place Windows 7 is hiding these files???

Thanks!

[Hammad]

Did you scan your hard drive? Check if you transferred it properly. There are chances that after the crash, the data could have been lost. Otherwise scan your hard drive using a good antivirus and then check

[Duckiedee]

How do I check if it transferred properly?

[alexmvp]

You should put the old hard drive into your computer along with the new one so you can boot up on the new drive and then manually copy over the information from the other drive.

If you don't know how to do that, I would look on Amazon and buy an external drive enclosure.

Example: http://www.amazon.com/Vantec-NexStar-2-5-Inch-External-Enclosure/dp/B002JQNXZC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316644365&sr=8-1

Put the drive in that then connect it to your PC or Laptop with a USB cable. Be sure to buy the right size enclosure. Desktop HD's are 3.5 and Laptop drives are 2.5.

Hope that helps!

[Ziggy]

Hope this may help as I had a similar issue when my Hard Drive died.

Prior to the drive crashing I copied all my data documents onto a external drive, so no problem there.

But what I was missing were all my emails from Mozilla Thunderbird. Luckily I also copied over the contents of the hidden folder User/Application Data - Local, Local Low, and Roaming. (To show hidden folders go to Windows Explorer, folder view, and click "show hidden folders").

If you can access that folder you'll be surprised to see what you can find! If you can access this folder from your old drive, simply copy it over (good idea to put it into a folder and name it, for example, old application data) and then click on all the folders there to see what you can recover.

Thunderbird emails are located in Roaming/Thunderbird/Mail. To copy the emails back over to your new hard drive, find the same folder on your new drive and simply drag the .msi and corresponding files over to your new drive into that folder where your new profile has been created. For example, amazon and amazon.msi will recreate your amazon folder and your amazon email. Not too sure of the procedure for Outlook, but if you search the net I'm sure you will find an answer.

Good luck. Ziggy...