In Win 10: Where're the files lost after I cancelled moving them?

Anonymous

From the task bar; I clicked on the desktop icon. Till appeared from the sub menus: the E drive "E is part of the hard drive but not a system drive". I clicked to move it to the desktop of my labtop. The computer said it's moving it. I changed my mind; so I paused the operation. Then I cancelled it.

After that I didn't find many files that were in E. I lost the first alphabetical folders with all its files.

I searched for the files using the file explorer search; but I didn't find any. I searched for them in the whole PC; not only E. They're not in the recycle bin even. I don't have backup for them also.

Where can I find these files? Or I lost them forever?

I couldn't put these as reply so I put them as part of the problem:

This site is very bad in wording. I clicked yes on that this solved my problem. Then it considered this as helpful solution. Then I found that it considered it as the answer. And also gave me the opportunity to withdraw back by considering it as not the answer. But didn't give me the opportunity to withdraw from considering it (before that) as not solution. It didn't give the choice also to change my rate to the solution (which the site sometimes say it's rating for the site and sometimes as rating for the solution. I have a problem avery a year maybe. And every time I get confused by the wording of this site.

They should clearly say was this helpful. and the other one should remain as questioning if it's answer.

All the people that replied to this, helped in the answer. But the system of this site didn't give the opportunity to clarify what replies helped in that exactly. One of the reasons was that one person might had more than a reply helped in the solution. But the system can't show that.

The solution is:

Be quick in finding the answer and use the affected pc as little as possible. Every minute using the pc decreases the possibility of finding your lost data. To not to have the lost files over written: Do Hibernate/sleep (instead of shut down/restart), or don't close at all. Postpone windows updates as well.

Try finding the data on your pc by the following:

search recycle bin
search file explorer for files and folders
search the clipboard (maybe simply by searching file explorer for "clipboard" might do. I'm not sure. But in the replies you'll find the exact way.
Try the following (more details about how; are in the the replies.):

a) Windows key + R then type in %temp%

search the files

b) From C:\WINDOWS\system32

Create a desktop shortcut for cmd.exe.

Run cmd.exe as admin. Suppose the lost file name is abc.yz

2-a) cmd /c dir /s /a-d /b C:\abc.yz & pause

cmd /e dir /s /a-d /b e:\abc.yz & pause

2-b) dir /s /a-d /b e:\abc.yz

dir /s /a-d /b c:\abc.yz

2-c) dir /s /a c:\users\abc.yz

dir /s /a e:\users\abc.yz

2-d) dir /s /a c:\abc.yz

dir /s /a e:\abc.yz

If all this doesn't work; try looking on the internet for Free Data Recovery Software. The best of them is Recuva.

One place to find the software is:

https://filehippo.com/download\_recuva/

Try to download it and execute it on a flash (usb) drive or cd/dvd or any drive other than the affected one. Or it might overwrite your data. If not possible then download it on the affected drive.

You can also rollback your windows version update as detailed in the replies.

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Answer accepted by question author

Virginia M 42,075 Independent Advisor

Recuva is fine. It’s not a repair tool per se but a file recovery tool.
Check that you have clipboard history enabled:
Open the Settings app and go to the System group of settings.
Select the Clipboard tab, and check that clipboard history is on, if it isn’t then it’ll not find anything other than then last copied item.
Click windows key + v to view clipped items.

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Virginia M 42,075 Independent Advisor

From: https://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/view...

Note: This is a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products).
Please do not download any repair tool which is offered by this site.
Thoroughly research any product which is mentioned here before you decide to download and install it.

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Answer accepted by question author

Virginia M 42,075 Independent Advisor

Hello, I’m Virginia an independent advisor with 20 years of expertise in fixing my own & friends’ PC problems.

Unfortunately they may be lost, moving a file is like cutting & pasting, it is held on the clipboard until it is fully moved, if you cancel the move then the original file may end up lost.

Always copy & paste manually rather than moving.

You can try Recuva to see if it will recover the file in the original folder:

https://filehippo.com/download_recuva/

Please do not download any repair tool which is offered by this site.

Thoroughly research any product which is mentioned here before you decide to download and install it.

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Anonymous

Could it be because indexing didn't include these files yet?

This console command will search all folders for files whose name starts with xyz, regardless of any indexing. You must run it for each drive letter in your system (C:, D:, E: etc).

Mark the code line below, then press Ctrl+C to copy it.
Press the Windows key+R
Press Ctrl+V to paste the code line, then replace xyz with an appropriate set of letters.
Press Enter.
Repeat the process for ALL other drive letters.

cmd /c dir /s /a-d /b C:\xyz*.* & pause

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Anonymous

And what's the benefit of running the command from another account?

How can I open an elevated command prompt.

In this day and age you do not need to be an expert on simple questions, e.g. how to remove wine stains, or how to fix a bicycle tube puncture. You ask the Google oracle like so:

how to open an elevated Command Prompt

One of the answers might be:

Create a desktop shortcut for cmd.exe.
Right-click it.
Left-click Run as Administrator
Accept the challenge

The benefit of running console commands in elevated mode is that you face fewer access restrictions, i.e. you can more easily access folders beloning to other users.

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Anonymous

I beg your pardon, but I am not allowed to share 3rd party links here. Hope you understand. You may search "Free Data Recovery Software" at Google for the results.

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Anonymous

You entered the correct commands from the Command Prompt.

If you have more than one account then I open an elevated Command Prompt, then type this command:

dir /s /a c:\users\fb.xlsx

Sorry, you cannot use the files preceded by a $. They are only place holders and contain no useful data.

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Lester Bernard Reyes 85,340 Independent Advisor

My name is Lester and hopefully, this helps answer your question.

Just want to confirm you transfer your files from external drive E: to your Desktop? correct me if I'm wrong.

Usually if you moved the files from External to Desktop and you will cancel it, the remaining files that the operation is not yet transferred should be on the root or from where you get the files (External drive)

For Example you transfer/move files from Drive E: to desktop once you cancelled it, the remaining files should be on the Drive E:

Else it was already permanently removed.

But you can also check it to your temporary files.

Press Windows key + R then type in %temp% then hit OK

If the files wasn't there it was already removed.

I hope this helps.

Lester

Independent Advisor

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