Backup folder disappeared from external hard drive

Hello all! I've been hanging out in the graphics card forum, getting lots of help from the wonderful celebkiriedhel.

Now that my game is up and running, I am ready to load my backed-up neighborhood files and downloads folder. There's just one problem...yesterday, I was on my EHD checking out my backup folder; when I closed out of the folder, it totally vanished. Disappeared into the ether...not in my recycle bin, not in the hidden files. Just gone.

And of course, I neglected to follow the cardinal rule of backing up your files, and did not make a back-up of my back-up. So my files are gone at this point. I ran some recovery software which was able to recover 90 of the files, but I had over 17,000.

I am just so angry at myself. I know better than to only have one backup of my files. So I guess my question is, does anyone know of any other way I could possibly recover my vanished folder?? I have no idea what caused it, but I'm hoping that somehow, somewhere, it's still hanging out in cyberspace...

Thanks to all who took the time to read my little essay!

If they're not in the 'bin, and a recovery program can't find them either, I fear that I cannot be optimistic about your chances to recover them.

UNLESS... The system just set the Hidden flag on the folder. In windows explorer, find the menu option to show all files... Who knows...

I'm not feeling very optimistic myself. A lesson learned the hard way for sure.

I did try the show all files option on my desktop computer, but I will plug in to the laptop when I get home this evening and try it there. Just to double-check.

Your wonderful mods were among the items I lost, @BoilingOil...but at least I know where to find replacements!

@sbabs Unfortunately this is something that Windows 10 does - uninstall programs and delete files.

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015...g-software

I had no idea...that's kinda ridiculous. :-| Maybe that's what happened to me.

No luck recovering any of my files so I'm off to rebuild my downloads folder from scratch. It will be better than before, that's how I've decided to look at it.

@sbabs If you can - do your backup on an external drive that you can disconnect from the system.