# General > Technical Support >  Windows XP - Urgent!

## KCI

Help!

I am using Windows XP.  Fairly new pc.

I switched off last night - fine.  Switched back on this morning - I've lost everything.  The pc seems to have gone back to the way it was when I bought it.  The desktop has changed, programs I have installed are no longer there, all of my favourites have gone in IE, my e-mail accounts have gone in OE...........all my e-mail addresses have gone.  

All of my website info has gone.  I had loads of important info and it's all gone.

Can anyone help me - I'm desperate.  Is there any way I can get this info back?  What on earth has happened?  All I did was switch on in the normal way, then everything just disappeared.

Is there anything I can do?  Any help will be so appreciated.

 ::   ::

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## pultneytooner

Try system restore:

Start/all programs/accessories/system tools/system restore.

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## martin macdonald

::  r u up and running again :Grin:

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## KCI

Hi guys

No, not up and running yet!

I've tried to run the system restore, but it won't allow me to do it.  It only gives a restore date for this morning, when I switched the pc on.

Can't understand this at all.

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## Niall Fernie

sounds like you may have logged into the wrong account?

try, "Start" / "Log Off" / "Switch User" to see if there are other accounts you could try.

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## KCI

Thanks Niall

There are only 2 user accounts - I've tried them both, but still nothing.

It looks like I really have lost everything.  

Thanks for the help anyway.   ::

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## pultneytooner

The data will still be on your HD, you need a program to exact this information to another storage device. Blue ivy may be able to help you with the right software for the job.

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## martin macdonald

hi!  you can use SYSTEM RESTORE WIZARD to roll back your system to the condition it was in at a prior point time.u can rollback to any of these types of checkpoints and restoration points. ::  is it a laptop?

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## acameron

I agree with Niall - If you check old document folders and see if you recognise anything

START
MY COMPUTER

and then check the folders in there. Let us know how you get on.

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## jlang

try http://www.z-a-recovery.com/info_zar32.htm

use the free trial version

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## KCI

Thanks for the help everyone.

I checked everywhere on the pc, but still couldn't find the e-mails or addresses etc.

I used a program - OE-Mail REcovery and Address Book REcovery, and managed to get most of the messages back.

Still have no idea what happened though?

Needless to say, I have backed everything up now, and have learnt a very valuable lesson!!   ::

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## Rheghead

Do you think you could have picked up a virus? it might explain it? ::  

I'd run an anti virus check, now if I were you.

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## blueivy

Sorry I didn't get involved in this thread. Broadband died at the weekend.     Anyway, this is a strange one and I've never heard of anything happening like this before. The *only* thing I could think would explain it is if you had just switched the power off on the PC without logging off. Still unlikely to explain it but it's the only thing I could think of!     It does outline something I've been saying to home users for years (and most don't listen unfortunately) you need to backup ... backup ... backup! If you run a business it's even more important and could be legally required! Backups needn't be expensive. Most people have a CD Writer these days, use a simple CD which stores 650Mb+, takes 10 minutes (about) to burn and costs you what, 5p? If this is going to be your only method of backup, I'd burn two just in case one disappears, breaks or is unreadable. Take the CD's to another house (leave it with your brother, sister, mum, dad, friend) and that way should the worst happen, you've always got a backup. You can also use an external USB hard drive. They're a bit more expensive (£50+) and a lot less portable than a CD but a lot faster and the backups can be automated more easily.       Thanks Pulteneytooner for remembering me ...  Anyway, I've said my two pence worth.    I'll be writing an article on low costs backups soon and posting it on the website.

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## Saxo01

Just been reading through the technical probs on here i had a look at my user accounts & blimey there was an unknown user account as well as mine Iv'e owned this comp from new it has the very 1st xp on it, Just wondered has someone hacked into it or a virus? I hammer it regularly with avg, spybot & even bought spyware doctor as recommended on here, Oh and im on aol

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## blueivy

Hi Sax01,

I doubt somebody has hacked into it. If they did they woulnd' tleave an unknown user account, they'd hack into yours!

If you've got anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall I'd say you're pretty much covered.

I have quite a few Unknown accounts here as it's pretty common when connected to a Windows domain (the account is deleted from the server, when your PC then tries to reconcile it's profiles with accounts and can't find one it says Unknown Account).

If you go into c:\documents and settings what folders do you have in there other than Default User and All Users? Where did you actually see the Unknown User account - was it within User Accounts or Profiles? What version of XP are you using?

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## Glebite

Check the date and time settings, could be the internal battery is weak

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## blueivy

> Check the date and time settings, could be the internal battery is weak



Hi Glebite,

That wouldn't have reset Windows back to the state it was when it was installed (which is what KCI thought the problem was). That would simply reset the date, time and installed devices most of which owuld have been autodetected. When your battery is changed or is not powering the CMOS to store the machines data the PC wil usually tell you in one way or another.

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## rfr10

You don't have faulty ROM I think it will be do you because the contents of RAM is lost anyway when your PC is switched off so maybe you lost all the contents of RAM aswell or would that mean that the whole PC wouldn't work? Can't remeber. I've never ever heard this happening to a PC before though. Did you get any error messages when your PC came back on. Try logging on to the Administrator account of your PC if it will let you and check to see if anything is there. Does everything that you saved stay there now or do you still loose it? Try clicking START and SEARCH and look to see if your files are still in the system. You didn't accidentaly format your C:/ drive did you? Non't think you can ACCIDENTALY do that but you never know.

Infact, some of that might not be right if your whole system was the way it was when it was newly installed. When you say that it went back to what it was like when it was newly installed, was your User Account even there?

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## teritoots

KCI

From what you described I'd say you lost your profile but this would not normally happen on home pcs but it might of corrupted
Go to c:\documents & settings\  in there you should see a few folders is there 2 which contain your username?

Hoping there is anyway go into the one that is your username and not username.000 and look on desktop folder is all your old icons there?

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## Tony

Hello!
I wonder if this p.c was made by one of the larger companies like Time/Tiny or Mesh as you said "The pc seems to have gone back to the way it was when I bought it" and this appears to provide a hint.
Companies like these provide a Reload Disk for putting them back to factory settings as described as most errors are due to customers themselves or viruses rather than a fault with the p.c and by providing customers with these disks allows the customer to correct the errors.
The reload disk does not contain all the information but simply executes a programme that is contained separately within the hard drive that is not normally accessed.
It would appear that this programme has been executed resulting in the problem described. Windows may have developed a critical error resulting in this. Alternatively the hard drive or reload programme may have an error.
If this is the case or it happens again soon I would contact the company concerned for advice if the p.c is fairly new but if Mesh I wouldn't hold my breath as it may be returned in a worse state.

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## dougie

If worst comes to the worst, how about getting professional help.  Try enquiries@computafix.org

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## Bobinovich

...or of course any of the other IT companies in the area who may be closer to you  :Wink:  

http://www.caithness-business.co.uk/category.php?cat=67

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## blueivy

> ...or of course any of the other IT companies in the area who may be closer to you  
> 
> http://www.caithness-business.co.uk/category.php?cat=67


As far as I know the problem is solved ...

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## dpw39

::  When you reboot try holding down the F10 key (!) and put it into safe mode, then you may be able to do a full virus scan and then re-boot the system and lo and behold it may automatically restore back to its normal state. I'm not sure if it is F10 or the F5 key that enables the safe start up procedure, maybe Blueivy could inform you better.


Ciao,


dpw39

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## blueivy

> When you reboot try holding down the F10 key (!) and put it into safe mode, then you may be able to do a full virus scan and then re-boot the system and lo and behold it may automatically restore back to its normal state. I'm not sure if it is F10 or the F5 key that enables the safe start up procedure, maybe Blueivy could inform you better.


Hi ... nearly right it's F8!

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