O/P and files are missing

[vektron]

I have a laptop that I am fixing for a older lady and she said one day it would not start so I tried to boot to Windows and it was not showing a bootable device and then went to manually select boot and got the same thing. I have run diagnostics on this laptop and all is good including the Hard drive. The problem is the Windows 7 operating system and all the files are missing. I have checked the hard drive and all space is accounted for, it is all free space except for a few MB. I am wondering as I had the issue a few years ago with another person if it is possible for a power surge to erase all data or would someone have had to physically remove it.

[jmarket]

Hi there vektron and Welcome to PCHF

The Power Supply (PSU) is designed to absorb power surges, spikes, and dips without damaging your other components. A power surge from the PSU itself though will wreak havoc on a computer.

I have rebuilt many computers. I have come across hard drives that have done the same exact thing you are describing. I would attempt to install a new OS with the same results. The end result? The hard drive was deceased.

More often than not, if the data mysteriously disappears, it’s one of two things: it was forcibly erased by malware or the like, or the hard drive is failing.

Hope that answers your question

[Madmatt2006]

Hi vektron,

it would be odd for a surge to erase data but it could damage the PCB on the hard drive. So when you looked at the drive is it partitioned but blank no files at all?
have you hooked the hard drive up to another PC to take a look?
if there was important data you could try do a recovery with recovery software..

[veeg]

Hello vektron,do you have an update for us?

[vektron]

The drive was partitioned and id did run diagnostics on it and it passed. I also ran some software and was able to see all the deleted files. I do think that that someone physically deleted all the files.

[veeg]

The drive was partitioned and id did run diagnostics on it and it passed. I also ran some software and was able to see all the deleted files. I do think that that someone physically deleted all the files.

Ok…thanks for your reply. So can we mark your thread as solved?

Also for tips for future issues with other OP’s,what software did you use?

[vektron]

Piriform Recuva, free edition

[veeg]

So can we mark your thread as solved?

[vektron]

I am sorry. Yes please mark it as solved. Thank you.