Overwritten my profile documents while fixing temporary profile issue

corrupted disc

If your disk truly is damaged or failing, you need to
a. test it to check if it's sound
b. attempt to recover files from it to a different disk without making further changes to it.

(a): E.g. Use the portable version of Crystal Diskinfo on a flash drive.
CrystalDiskInfo Portable | PortableApps.com - Portable software for USB, portable and cloud drives

(b): Use the portable version of Recuva on a flash drive
Download Portable Recuva 1.53.1087
to try to recover files to an external disk

System Restore does NOT protect any user files or folders. For that you need to make your own backup arrangements.
Good you have backups, but sad not a backup regime. I appreciate your frustration.

We constantly urge users to use disk imaging (e.g. Macrium Reflect (free) so they can restore their PC to a previous working state relatively painlessly and without technical help. Things can and will go wrong.

The images also act as backups for the disks and partitions imaged.

Did you tick this box?


As to whether they are lost depends on how much of them has been overwritten. They may be on the disk, but not part of the file system (i.e. 'deleted').

I was under impression system restore can recover files

No. Not user's personal files.

It only deals with system changes. MS system files, the registry, drivers, Windows updates and program installations.

Here is an example of Recuva's Deep Scan - looking for recoverable files physically present on disk but in 'unused' space on the disk.


- a stage in the scan process - note ref. to damage.

Final assessment- here no files are recoverable as they have been overwritten. You might get an assessment showing recoverable files and %ge damage