Only programs and settings.  User data files are not restorable through System Restore.

Steve

If you're trying to recover an Excel or other data file that got accidently deleted, try something like Restoration Version 2.5.14 (google for it). It's a free utility that can recover deleted data files.

The sooner you run this, the better. Otherwise you have risk the PC will save something on top of the deleted file, making it unrecoverable. Restoration can be downloaded and saved directly onto floppy disk, and then run from the floppy so the download won't write over the file you want to recover. Use Restoration's "restore by copying" option so it saves the recovered file with a new name. That keeps it from over-writing the original file, in case it can't recover it completely. And in that case, you can then try another undelete utility and Restoration won't have made things worse.

Ron

Thanks for the confirmation that Restore does not apply to deleted files. 

Also thanks for the heads up about the freeware Restoration.  I tried it but it must have been too long since the files were deleted as I could only find one file.

 

Sorry you couldn't find all your files. But that's what happens. Next time something accidently gets deleted, immediately look in the Recycle Bin. Unless you hit Ctrl-Delete, Windows moves deleted files into the Recycle Bin, and they stay there until you empty it.

If you don't find the file in the Recycle Bin, run Restoration. Don't shut down the PC, don't save any other files to the HD, don't run System Restore, don't defrag etc. All those things can overwrite a deleted file.

You can now install Restoration on your HD so it's handy for the next "OMG, why did I do that?" moment. ;)

Ron

Hi,

I think you may find these pages helpful.

Here is a list of files and folders System Restore monitors:
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/filesfolders.html

Here is a description of System Restore:
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/description.html