Crashed laptop question

nossmf
nossmf Posts: 11,527 Member
edited September 2022 in Motivation and Support
Not sure where else to post this, but I'll reference the "support" part of this board to ask a computer-support related question that is not MFP-related. My personal laptop sort of died on me. I say "sort of" because I can power it on, login with my password, and the programs I use are all there and operational. But every single file I've created or downloaded, every photo, every internet bookmark is gone. It's as if I've never logged into this computer before, despite the fact the computer is several years old.

The good news I periodically save copies of all my files to an external drive, with the last such save about a month ago, so at worst I've lost about a month's worth of updates to my family budget spreadsheet. But before I move these copies back onto my laptop, I want to ask:
  • Is it safe? Or will these files just delete themselves spontaneously again?
  • Is it necessary? Are the files, photos, etc still present on the laptop, but the link to them is somehow misplaced?
Replacing the laptop is not in the budget right now (I'm still using a cell phone with a cracked screen because I can't afford to replace it). Was hoping to keep this laptop for another 2 years or so before the budget relaxed a bit after some loans finished paying off.

Any advice?

Replies

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,803 Member
    Usually, data isn't really deleted on a computer unless it is actively overwritten by other data. It's just that the index to it is gone. Recovery might still be possible (though I've never done that myself, I only know the theory)

    As for being safe, not a clue really. Depends on what the actual issue was?
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,527 Member
    Ok, update: all my files and bookmarks are back. Based on the advice of a coworker, I found out my laptop was somehow having me use a temporary profile, not my original one, hence no access to "private" files. Once I got around that, the computer asked if I wanted to reboot and finish installing the second half of the update. Soon as that finished, poof, it was as if nothing had happened to complicate my life in the first place.

    Stupid automatic update...

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