New
#1
In between Win10 and Factory Default Win7
I am in W7 because I became stuck after an unsuccessful restore from image. I know the error code, but I am unsure of why it failed. I am trying to get back to W10 and my head is exploding - as it is day 5.
External HD works, but I can't find my backups (pst file from 6/17). That is one path to recovery through a recovery of files.
As I can't find my Outlook data, I cannot figure out my next step. After I had an image recovery failure on Tuesday, I cannot locate that image in my computer or on my external HD. I can't see it - hidden or un-hidden. Where is the WindowsBackupImage from my C drive? When I open Backup & Restore, it shows 0 files and 90GB of a system image.
When I woke up, my goal was to recover using Restore from Image via .vhd file.
Because I cannot visually eyeball any of the data that should be in multiple folders/files, I am upset.
Backups are always sent to HD. Backups done daily and images weekly. Without having had a HD failure, I should have data backups between 6/2 and 6/17. Images from 6/17, 6/10, and 6/3 unless the earlier were overwritten.
I had a lot of room on HD...
Seagate thinks MS did something with W10 updates. He is sure my data is somewhere. So am I. How could it be corrupted, yet leave an image along with photos, texts, docs, Word, PDF, .pst files?
MS online support not knowledgeable enough with Seagate's hunch. If computer became corrupted, it was between installing 3 clean W10 OS and then resorting to a Win7 factory default because my computer wouldn't boot.
I would swear Windows broke my computer. This statement by way of explaining that my computer was working fine - no hard drive errors or failures, no corruption or viruses - (just SafeSear.ch, which showed up with the factory installation on Wednesday).
If I restore from Image, do I remove everything first? (I installed Office/Outlook.) Is it possible that I cannot see certain missing folders/images/files because I don't have W10 installed? I guess the stupidest questions come from the fact that my hard drive didn't fail, yet I'm missing PRIMARILY the data that I need to restore Outlook. Hence, where, why, how, and what? Or, since my drives didn't fail internally OR externally, where is everything?
If I can restore from Image, I should have W10. If I have to go back earlier than 6/17, it's better than having Outlook with no calendar, contacts, settings, etc. If I can recover data but not OS and software, as long as I can take Outlook with me, I should be fine.
Not sure the most successful way to achieve a fully functioning Office/Outlook.
That's why I am here.
Thank you.