MS Excel oh how I loathe thee

[Oneiroi]

SO before I start

P.E.B.K.A.C

and

Layer 8 issue ...

*rage*


OK the problem:

User has overwritten an excel document with a blank new document, despite having been told all important documents should be stored on the file server via a mapped drive ...

User claims "erm it was blank when I opened it, and I just closed it ..."

There is no "versions" under the file properties, I have shown the file modification time was this morning at 09:29:18 ... (so much for the "I opened and closed it and now it's gone *gasp* *must be magic")

Where as I would use recovery software for a deleted file, this one was over-written blank, I have no idea how to recover it.

I am of the opinion that this file is lost, there are no .xlk temp files nothing to attempt to get the data back from.

So any help appreciated ...

[imported_BaconZombie]

IIRC then new file may not of been written to the same part of the disc so you should be able to recover it. Also even if it did write to the same starting sector there size should be smaller and it just the link to the data on the data is self that is gone.

First things first, make sure NO MORE writing to the drive is done, so power down the PC. The get out a copy of your fav. data recovery software take it for a spin...

If the old data was not writen over at least 3 times since the deletion but should/maybe able to get it back. But think first is the data really worth your time or is it more cost effective to get the user to just recreate the original document.


*/ Edit: This Post from The Denv may come in handy */

[imported_=Tron=]

If the old data was not writen over at least 3 times since the deletion but should/maybe able to get it back. But think first is the data really worth your time or is it more cost effective to get the user to just recreate the original document.

This is in theory true, however most software based solutions will struggle with files even only partially overwritten. If the file indeed is completely overwritten, even just once, it will most likely not be worth trying to recover it.

[imported_BaconZombie]

This is way I loved PCTOOLS on my old dos system, it could recovery almost any file I tried. But since is was make in ~1987 it only worked on FAT.
Think about it now it may work on USB drives.

Have to root though my old floppy disc and try and find it, I know I have it on 5¼ but have no working drive.

[streaker69]

Best BoFH answer:

"It was your responsibility to store that data in a secure location. You failed to do so, there is nothing that can be done to recover it. Shall I tell your boss, or do you want to?"

My users know that all data gets stored in My Documents, which is synchronized with their home directories on the server. They know that anything that is not stored there, is not my responsibility to recover. Normally it only takes one occurrence of someone being a ****up till they learn to do things the right way.

Normally that ****up is used as an example in the next IT training meeting with the staff.

[Oneiroi]

Best BoFH answer:

"It was your responsibility to store that data in a secure location. You failed to do so, there is nothing that can be done to recover it. Shall I tell your boss, or do you want to?"

My users know that all data gets stored in My Documents, which is synchronized with their home directories on the server. They know that anything that is not stored there, is not my responsibility to recover. Normally it only takes one occurrence of someone being a ****up till they learn to do things the right way.

Normally that ****up is used as an example in the next IT training meeting with the staff.

Yeh unfortunately for me the "Bureaucracy" dept doesn't want re-direction on My Documents ... hence the mapped drive *sigh* ...

So I've had enough, just said bottom line don't save files you want keeping anyware but the shared drive (again), and spoken to the Dept manager (who gets the bill for my time) about what they wanted to do, take the better part of a day or two bill for my time attempting to recover a file, for which I can not say 100% is recoverable, or have the ****up learn the hard way through data entry, repopulating the sheet from notes and emails.

Always seems to work in my favour that argument , esp against the "raging" line managers who have no idea of the technical implications of their staffs actions, money talks as they say.


"But but ... I need that spreadhseet now! now! NOW!" ...

"Did you save it on the shared drive?"

"No ... but it's crucial, it's realy REALY IMPORTANT!"

"So you didn't think to put the file that's realy REALY IMPORTANT! in the one place it would be backed up?"

"Er well erm ..."

*patent pending BOFH evil glare*

"no *whimper* ... can you get it back?"

"Well it's not going to be easy it's going to cost this: ...."

"Actually I think I can rebuild it from my notes and emails"


Suddenly not so important is it ?

[imported_BaconZombie]

I'd 2nd streaker69.

The pain the user will have redoing the doc will be a good lesson.

"There are two types of people, those who do backup and those who wish they did when they feck up...."

Best BoFH answer:

"It was your responsibility to store that data in a secure location. You failed to do so, there is nothing that can be done to recover it. Shall I tell your boss, or do you want to?"

My users know that all data gets stored in My Documents, which is synchronized with their home directories on the server. They know that anything that is not stored there, is not my responsibility to recover. Normally it only takes one occurrence of someone being a ****up till they learn to do things the right way.

Normally that ****up is used as an example in the next IT training meeting with the staff.

[streaker69]

It's especially fun when there's actually something written in the employee policy manual regarding the storage of company data. Because then there's no excuse other than blatant stupidity for not storing data where they should.

[Ne_nE_Ne]

I have a user that stores all her important e-mails in deleted items...

Guess what happens everytime she closes her Outlook, that's right they get deleted. Even worse is the fact that Outlook asks her if she wants to permenently delete the items. She does not read the pop up and just clicks yes.

Come morning I have a crappy e-mail stating the ineffectiveness of the mail server.

O yes she also uses the recycle bin to store important info.

Joy Joy Joy

/*N

[Oneiroi]

I have a user that stores all her important e-mails in deleted items...

Guess what happens everytime she closes her Outlook, that's right they get deleted. Even worse is the fact that Outlook asks her if she wants to permenently delete the items. She does not read the pop up and just clicks yes.

Come morning I have a crappy e-mail stating the ineffectiveness of the mail server.

O yes she also uses the recycle bin to store important info.

Joy Joy Joy

/*N

You're not alone, I had this with the previous company I *ahem* provided services for ...

A quite senior manager used the recycle bin to store some "very important documents", and then procceded to near fill up their computers hard drive over the years (prior to my working there) ...

These documents of course disapeared when said manager was prompted by windows to use the clean up wizard to free space, it took me the better part of a week in an out of meetings with various directors to explain as to why this was extreamly stupid, and that the documents can not be recovered due to the user proceeding for several days using said computer populating it with crap again.

They even paid for a 3rd party "consultant" to come in and take a look, and I say "consultant" losely, as the guy knew less than I did in that he didn't know as to why a recovery tool for FAT would not work on NTFS, and before I near slapped him upside the head wanted to format the drive to FAT to use his recovery tool as he was sure it would work.

Yet somehow he also got away with charging 10x as much ... I'm going to slap "consultant" on my job title next time :-/