0

I have a large pictures folder, most of then "bulk" downloaded using Hitomi Downloader, DownThemAll and similar. Yesterdary I ran a Powershell command I always use to rename the last downloaded files and found the folder empty (aside the renamed files). I'm not sure how and when the files and subfolders dissapeared, but Windows shows the folder as empty, 0 bytes size. It must have happend at most one week ago. I suspected of the Powershell command, the Hitomi task cleaning process or a failed undesired cut operation.

I have the hidden files visible (File Options > View > Hidden files) and rebuilt Windows file index (Indexing Options > Advanced Options > Rebuild). I tried several recovery tools like Recuva, Disk Drill and Do Your Data Recovery, but none of those found deleted files in that folder. I've also tried to search some of the files and folders in the whole disk but found nothing.

The files must be somehow hidden there because the deletion or moving of such a large folder (several GB) would have been noticeable with a progress modal and because the drive available space don't seem to have changed.

What else could I do? Is there another tool to list "hidden" files?

Note: Powershell rename command I used. I tested it later in another folder without errors.

Get-ChildItem *.* | select FullName, Extension, @{name='md5'; expression={(Get-FileHash $_ -Algorithm md5).Hash}} | foreach {Rename-Item $_.FullName -NewName "$($_.md5)$($_.extension)"}
adrianjgp
  • 3

1 Answers1

0

Open a cmd prompt, navigate to that directory and use dir /A:SH, full syntax here with more verbose explanation that this shows files with system (Hidden by default) and "hidden" file attributes. If they do not show there, they are not "Hidden". There is no other real way to hide files in windows.

If actually deleted there are ways to recover *Sometimes, some files" such as ontrack data recovery's free tool. I know you said you tried some, but I have had ontrack succeed where others have failed.

Note that depending on how heavily the drive has changed since deletion (if deleted) that the recovery may be more difficult. It is best to do this fast if you determine you need to.

GeneMoody-Action1
  • 283