[SOLVED] After renaming files, now is missing

Penstroke4 · 03-24-2023, 09:45 AM

Hi!Can someone help me? I have spent considerable time to rename each file to add series of numbers to each file while retaining its title. I have almost completed doing so.But when I check back - all those files are now missing and cannot be found in the folder itself. I have checked the "trash" but still there is no-sign of those missing files. I am most certain I did not delete them while doing renaming.
I am using Fedora 37 and used Dolphin file manager to do the renaming. What has happened. Kindly advised.Thanks

hazel · 03-24-2023, 10:43 AM

You didn't add a dot to the beginning of the filenames, did you? That would turn them into hidden files. There's also a possibility, if you did the work within a graphical file manager, that you were actually moving them elsewhere during the renaming process.

If I were you, I would open a terminal and use

Code:

ls -a

first on your home directory/folder and then on any subdirectories that you can see.

pan64 · 03-24-2023, 10:50 AM

would be nice to know exactly what did you execute. And probably you can add some other details too.

michaelk · 03-24-2023, 10:55 AM

Can you post an example of how you renamed the file?

You can try searching from the command line assuming the files are still somewhere in your home directory and that you remember part of the name.

find ~/ -name "*search_criteria*"

hazel · 03-24-2023, 10:57 AM

I think it's actually quite difficult to describe what you did when you were using a graphical file manager to do it. You can't just post up a command and say "This is what I entered."

Penstroke4 · 03-24-2023, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelk

Can you post an example of how you renamed the file?

You can try searching from the command line assuming the files are still somewhere in your home directory and that you remember part of the name.

find ~/ -name "*search_criteria*"

***sorry for the omission, This is what I did:-
Example: original title of file "The book is green"
-1] renaming by adding serial number to title [1.233.3]The book is green then press [enter].
now file is missing. I was unaware that it was missing as I assume that it was going to position in a sequential manner.
Please help me to recover those files. Thanks

michaelk · 03-24-2023, 07:11 PM

Adding [1.233.3] should not of caused the files to go missing. As posted earlier if your files are in your home directory somewhere you can try using the find command from a terminal window as posted above.

find ~/ -name "[*"

pan64 · 03-25-2023, 04:41 AM

probably it is not missing just you need to refresh your window to make it visible again.

Penstroke4 · 03-26-2023, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pan64

probably it is not missing just you need to refresh your window to make it visible again.

After much unsuccessful attempts to recover those files, the affected folders is still blank despite rebooting my pc.Then I tried switching to Windows 10 explorer and the error mssg is "The disk is corrupted and not readable"
After trying a number of Windows undelete programs which were unsuccessful, I managed to recover those files using Easeus Data recovery wizard. I suspect the fault is with HDD.Thanks to all who helped.

Turbocapitalist · 03-26-2023, 10:39 PM

You can verify if the fault is with the HDD using the smartmontools package with smartctl to check the health of the drive. It'll be in your distro's repository.

artytux · 03-26-2023, 10:49 PM

Quote:

@Penstroke4
Then I tried switching to Windows 10 explorer and the error mssg is "The disk is corrupted and not readable"

I have had that error from Win$ having problems with Ext4 format , best ignore don't try to repair a Linux Ext4 within Win$.

On the Q_ of lost files you didn't by accident put a dot . in front of the name - easily done - distraction - press enter - boom files gone, yes did that myself.

pan64 · 03-27-2023, 12:41 AM

I guess you should also get these [or similar] error messages on linux if that hdd is really damaged.
Anyway, if it is solved you might want to mark the thread solved.

Penstroke4 · 03-28-2023, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by artytux

I have had that error from Win$ having problems with Ext4 format , best ignore don't try to repair a Linux Ext4 within Win$.

On the Q_ of lost files you didn't by accident put a dot . in front of the name - easily done - distraction - press enter - boom files gone, yes did that myself.

<<< No i didnt put a dot in the front title and it was as many as 104 title that I renamed. I believed it has to do with Disk2(hdd-formatted to ntfs) a nearly 7year old 150Gb ide hdd.