Fresh install - back up immediately wiped - servers fault?

Plec · 27 Jan 2012 at 10:15

My wife's laptop was reformatted and updated to Windows 7 at her place of work yesterday and she bought it home for me to installl her backed up files - my docs, etc (40Gb worth.).

Today she's taken it back and the technicians have hooked it up to the new network (for the first time) and all the backup has disappeared - every last file - in her login and public.

Could the network be at fault - does the computer need to be synced up to the network before back up is applied?

I should add that she doesn't store any of her work on the server because of the sensitive nature ofsome of her docs - could that be the reason that the server wiped them on first intialisation?

I'm stumped and not there to help - i'm only getting feedback via my wife.

Any insight would be appreciated.

droyden · 27 Jan 2012 at 10:19

folder redirection?

joey1211 · 27 Jan 2012 at 10:19

If they've joined it to a domain, it's created a totally new account. The old stuff will be there, but you will need to login to the local account instead of the domain account.

Plec · 27 Jan 2012 at 10:23

Thanks for the replies guys.

Sorry, i should have added that the harddrive space is the same as that before the backup was applied. The extra 40GB of used space from the backup isn't there.

joey1211 · 27 Jan 2012 at 10:34

Yep, makes sense. There should be an option at the login screen to either use domain or local accounts. We've yet to upgrade from XP, so I'm not sure on where exactly it will be.

Plec · 27 Jan 2012 at 10:40

joey1211 said:
Yep, makes sense. There should be an option at the login screen to either use domain or local accounts. We've yet to upgrade from XP, so I'm not sure on where exactly it will be.

Thanks for the reply joey.

Just to clarify - you're saying that the server may have physically lifted/cut the files from her laptop and applied them to a login on the server.

Sorry, i need to clarify this as she can't have any of her docs on the main server - and if that's a possibility then i'll let her know that she should advise her tech guys to search them out and delete them.

Thanks for your input, appreciated.

joey1211 · 27 Jan 2012 at 11:07

No, the files will be in the local account you put them in. The account used to join the domain is a different, unique account.

If the docs are that sensitive, shouldn't they be encrypted? Techies are nosy by nature

Plec · 27 Jan 2012 at 11:19

joey1211 said:
No, the files will be in the local account you put them in. The account used to join the domain is a different, unique account.

Ah, then by all accounts it looks like, for whatever reason, that the files have been deleted comprehensively from her laptop - and according to the tech guys have not been duplicated on her user account on the server. Although, i've suggested that she request that they do a search just in case...

But as to why the files were so comprehensively deleted they have no idea?..

joey1211 said:
If the docs are that sensitive, shouldn't they be encrypted?

Totally and 100% agree - but this is the first time i've really looked at my wifes work computer as i know it's handled at her workplace (i don't like treading on other peoples professional toes - plus i'm not network/server savvy).

I've since found out that it wasn;t being regularly backed up and none of it is encrypted - so i will add my own little refinements to her docs once this new network and install has been finalised.

joey1211 said:
Techies are nosy by nature

Hehe, perk of their job i guess - although i did wipe her HDD before they did the fresh install and she's there whth them all the time while they're busy losing her files

(i have triple backups for her now)

Thanks again for the advice Joey.

droyden · 27 Jan 2012 at 17:59

I guess this is a small company she works for? Or general permissions (ie local admin) are pretty relaxed. TBH I'm not sure the company would be happy with a non employee messing about on company hardware (atleast I wouldnt!).

Plec · 27 Jan 2012 at 21:37

droyden said:
I guess this is a small company she works for?

Nope huge - the largest employer (government) but lets just say independent franchises with very limited tech guys - with varying degrees of knowledge (luck of the area you're in with regards to ability/knowledge and resources). A different local may very well have a wizz of a tech department - it's just luck of draw. I'm not being cryptic because of her job i'm just being careful incase they browse the same forums.

They're doing the best they can with the resources and time that they have to hand with the training they've come to the job with or received.

droyden said:
TBH I'm not sure the company would be happy with a non employee messing about on company hardware (atleast I wouldnt!).

And i agree in principle about the 'messing' (which, obvioulsy, i'm not) but bizarrely they wouldn't take responsibility for the backing up due to lack of resources (did i mention this was government). It's not their fault with regards to time - but the knowledge base is open for debate...

In short - backing up, encrypting delicate information and salvaging deleted files by mistake (it turns out they were deleted) is my only 'meddling' to date. TBH, if i could spare the time i would lend them a hand as they seem to be struggling as my wife's computer is not the only one that's had it's information wiped.

But i appreciate your point - if you're a professional and are very skilled at what you're doing then outside meddling is the last thing that you want - i.e. ****ing up a newly setup network. However, unfortunately, this is not one of those instances. I only got involved because of phone call (my wife via a tech guy) and as mentioned previously my network/server knowledge is very limited - so it would be the blind leading the blind to some degree...

Still, at least they think they know why the server is deleting files now - i hope...