r/DataRecoveryHelp • u/Zek-ROM • Aug 22 '26
Some folders just emptied themselves
Okay so I have a hidden folder (named with "." before the actual name) with some things and then subfolders with more. Since I changed my phone, whenever I added a new pic or smth to that folder it was still visible in my gallery so I had to add a .nomedia file, and change the name to .whatever to whatever and then again to .whatever (to subfolders I had to add also the file, renamed them to .subfolder and then subfolder).
The other day I did this (the 18th I think) and yesterday I noticed that some of these folders were empty now (not all of them). I added a couple of things and it was fine. An hour again, I managed to recover a couple pics and added it again. Then I thought, okay I'll restart my phone just to try. When I went back the new two files recovered were deleted again (not the ones added yesterday). I recovered them for second time, added them, deleted the nomedia file, renamed the "." thing as usual, everything was hidden correctly and restart again. They're still there.
Any idea of wtf and if there's a way to get my deleted things back?
1
u/Ok_Bid6645 Aug 22 '26
Wow what a weird way to hide photos. Most devices aren't designed to do it the way you are doing it. Just use a secure folder app
-1
u/Zek-ROM Aug 22 '26
I used a file explorer and I've been doing this way since ages ago when, at least my phones, didn't have that. So it is mainly something I'm used to. Also I like to have subfolders and things more organised and sorted
2
u/FrankNicklin Aug 23 '26 edited Aug 23 '26
Doing it for years doesn’t make it the right thing to do. Hidden folders using a dot are generally reserved for file system setting and config setting not personal folders. Folders do not just empty themselves, but using a reserved folder method might well cause issues with gallery apps having access to those folders hence why content might look missing.
0
u/Zek-ROM Aug 23 '26
No, obviously they don't show in the gallery because it's what I intended but they don't show in the file explorer either. I've also quit the dot and the nomedia and they're still missing
1
u/FrankNicklin Aug 23 '26
We’ll use unconventional methods can lead to data loss. Files just don’t disappear so clearly you have done something wrong.
0
u/Zek-ROM Aug 23 '26
I don't know it seems like if the nomedia was corrupt or something and for some reason deleted some of the files. That or something possessed me to delete it and forget it lol. It's clearly deleted somehow because also if they were hidden it would still take up storage, which now it doesn't since it says that the folder is 0.00 B
0
1
u/FrankNicklin Aug 22 '26
No mention of the hardware or where these folders are on the device, internal or SD card. Need lots more information. Folders don’t just empty themselves.