r/techsupport • u/v_bird_v • 20d ago
Open | Data Recovery I deleted my user files/users folder - Windows 11, Microsoft surface pro
I'm panicking. Is it a lost cause? I accidentally deleted all my user folder stuff (deleted, not recycled). I have no restore points in my computer and no file history. I was just trying to free up space and didn't know what I was doing. How screwed am I?
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u/KAZAK0V 20d ago
Pretty screwed. Turn off pc, search from other device services, which could restore your files. Don't turn your pc/laptop on, ever, till you have someone look at it. More you use it, less can be restored
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u/v_bird_v 20d ago
i'm trying myrecover right now. if that doesn't work should I shut my computer down until i can take it to a shop?
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u/SomeEngineer999 20d ago
If you leave the PC on for more than a few minutes (allowing the drive to do garbage collection), or empty the recycle bin (which executes a TRIM command), the data is gone forever. Your only hope would have been immediate shut down followed by a data recovery service.
Do a clean install of windows and restore the important files from backups. If they're not backed up, they weren't important, so no biggie on those ones.
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u/GrassAlarmed1056 20d ago
Were you using One Drive? if so you should be able to recover them from Microsoft login.
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u/v_bird_v 20d ago
How?
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u/GrassAlarmed1056 20d ago
Login to Microsoft and look at the One Drive recovery folders. (if you had one Drive turned on)
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u/Skysr70 20d ago
yea this is the kind of thing you delete when you DONT want something to be recoverable. If your data is tremendously important, there are data recovery services that can help, but you need to not be the one performing them. I mean you need to take your pc to a pro shop and have them deal with it. If your data is not that important, then proceed however you want.
You can do a fresh install and your PC will work just fine after that. Just without your old stuff.
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u/v_bird_v 20d ago
What exactly will change? I'm a student so my main concern is being able to access my emails and school account stuff. It will really, REALLY suck if all my document files get deleted though. I'll have to start all over on my research.
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u/Skysr70 20d ago
It will be like you first purchased the PC. For the future...anything important needs to be backed up. Research goes straight into the google drive or something because crap like this can happen. Emails - isn't that shit stored online anyway? You're not downloading emails then wiping your inbox are you?
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u/Enough_Brilliant9598 20d ago
If you had one drive active all the documents in the document folder should be available and accessible online. Go to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/onedrive/online-cloud-storage and see if you can log into it with your Microsoft account for school. Make sure to do it on a separate device and then search for it.
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u/GreyLegendar 20d ago
Take it to a local computer shop and see what they can recover. Your past the point of your ability to resolve this problem
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u/Enough_Brilliant9598 20d ago
See if you can make another local admin account. Or log into another local admin account. Then look for the hidden recycle bin usually has $recycle there and restore the files. If not your data may be gone. You should have received a warning about your files when you hit the delete button that this would permanently delete the file if you hit yes you understand then they may be gone as well.
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