Ok I have been an Ubuntu user before so I dont know much.
So I was trying to make a shortcut of my Windows partition fat-c by dragging it
I got frustrated for a few seconds and dragged it many times because it wouldnt show up. Then I found how to creat a link by right clicking on 'fat-c'. So all these popups appeared asking my replace or skip and I basically went crazy there(very immature and stupid,absolutely ridiciulous). Going replace and skip all over. And assumed job was done. Thinking that skip and replace is pretty much the same thing. Now when I have rebooted into windows. All my applications are gone, all my documents are gone. My window borders have thinned, I have a blue background and it looks like a very bad virus hit it except there was no virus.

How can I recover the data lost? Atleast my Documents and Settings. Does slackware on ext3 put things in trash or something?
I am very scared because not all of the data is mine.

Bump? Anybody knows whether I could fix this or not? The file format is NTFS. Slackware 12.1, 160 gigs. Does 'skip' mean any other than replace? Because I think this was because I tried to drag it too many times and so it asked whether I wanted to skip or replace the file. Also it seems strange that my window border thinned out. Like Windows XP is suppose to be closed source so how did my window borders thinned out and the font changed?

you probably deleted some files related to the configuration of your desktop.

First I would NOT boot into windows, nor Would I mount the partition as Read/Write in Linux. I would make two copies of the partition creating image files using dd. Work on one of the images using some forensics software like backtrack or helix to search for and recover documents. Only worry about data, it would be far too much work to try and fix windows this way.

After recovering your data (a long and grueling process) you should just re-install windows and your applications.

First of all, you don't bump a post after only an hour and a half. That, at a minimum, displays no etiquette at all and makes people a lot less inclined to respond to you.

Second, it sure sounds like you managed to either move or delete part of your XP user profile. What you did, I cannot say. But it looks like your user entry in C:\Documents and Settings might have disappeared. Or maybe the entire C:\Documents and Settings folder is moved or gone.

Third, "skip" does not mean "replace", it means "skip" - as in "don't do this"; skip it.

Now, what do you mean by "So I was trying to make a shortcut of my Windows partition fat-c by dragging it" ?

What OS were you running? What version? What window manager? You were dragging it from where to where?

Basically, if you want definitive answers, you need to tell, very specifically, exactly WHAT you did. I am wondering if you managed to click and drag part of your Windows XP installation onto a linux drive somehow, but from your handwaving description that contains no details, I really can't tell.

My bad. Sorry I got freaked out. Linux has never been a major problem to my other partitions until now.


I have found out that this Mass Destruction has effected Another Account differently. The entire My Documents survived, the borders seem fine but It lacks many program files, though msn messenger, firefox 3, and a couple of programs survived.


I wanted to access my Windows Partition through my Desktop. So I tried dragging the folder on to the Desktop assuming that it will create a link. What I did not know was that it was basically moving it from the Filesytem to /root/Desktop. As I increasingly got frustrated that it wasn't showing up I dragged it many times. Then I right-clicked on to my Windows Partition and found a choice to Link It To My Desktop. When it seemed like I had what I wanted to do, several pop-ups came up. Immaturely, I assumed that "Skip" and "Replace" played the same role as "Yes" and "Overwrite". So I went clicking on randomly (A mistake I won't do ever again in my life atleast not with computers ), assuming that they will have the same results.

Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3, the standard default blue window borders and green start button, look above.

The reason to all these 'hand-waving' descriptions is because I made a grave mistake of making that move in haste (Which I hope I will never do again). ' I am wondering if you managed to click and drag part of your Windows XP installation onto a linux drive somehow,', that would be nice!

I have just provided 70% of what seems useful. If its not enough please post. I am sorry, but I don't remember the process clearly and I hope its sufficient.

On another note, I have found a rather small backup. It contains important files from My Documents.

So that leaves me digging around trying to find other important files before I burn(format) down my Windows.

I have tried Handy Recovery but it couldn't recover even a hair. So I am assuming that these lost files have gone to Ext3 or have been overwritten properly and I can no longer recover them.

I have booted into Windows XP many times I am afraid and also installed Handy Recovery as it recovered nothing after an in-depth search. I have provided some other information on the other post recently.

I think it has been overwritten too well or moved to another partition like Swap or Ext3

I have found a little 'backup' when I was trying to move my work onto my laptop. So I think I will just let the Windows sink. Try to immitate it as much as possible.

I have never heard of Helix and Backtrack before. I should have used them in my other data disasters.

As the other jiml8 mentioned, any possibility of it to simply exsist on Ext3? Maybe hidden or something?

there is your problem, don't ever run x as root

yeap, thats another thing I regret. I was just way to lazy to create another user and run that.

I am trying Helix but its conflicting with grub on the Error: 23, error with parsing number or something. It works fine on my Laptop. How do I fix this?

Any suggestions? Should I just ditch the XP? Is there any hope of finding those files? Or should I just format and move on?

So, you did this from Windows XP? How did you get Windows to see the Linux partition? Did you use the ext2 filesystem drivers for XP?

Also I was not aware there was an SP3 for XP. Thought it was SP2. I could be mistaken though.

Seems to me that Windows would have stopped you from moving critical files, such as registry hives or any open file.

You should look on the destination drive for your files. They are probably there someplace.

SP3 was released a month or two ago

Yea, as AceofSpades said. LOL you must have been using linux for a long time.

Well I am just going to ditch my XP.

I have learnt two major lessons. Dont mess with the s l a c k . And never run as root unless you have to.

I will just back up everything that survived and let the tower fall.