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Restoring files from an archive

In Windows 7, you can restore files from a backup using the Control Panel item.

In the main window of the control panel item, there are three options for recovering files:

• Restore my files- allows you to select individual files and folders for recovery.
• Restore files of all users- also allows you to select individual files and folders, but for all users of the computer.
• Choose another backup to restore files- allows you to restore files of all users, as well as select an archive located on a network drive.

The following is about restoring "my" files. The first window of the File Recovery Wizard is full of options, so let's go in order.

Select archive date. By default, the most recent archive is used, as the system reports in the window. You can choose an earlier date - for example, if you need more old copy file.

The interface seems to be designed for very frequent archiving - by default, archives for the last week are displayed (in my opinion, it is more logical to immediately display archives for a month), but you can choose older ones, of course.

File search. This is a very handy tool that allows you to instantly find necessary files in the archive.

Please note that the window uses the explorer interface, i.e. in the search results you can select the desired columns of file properties and sort by them (however, there is no grouping).

Adding files and folders. Along with the search, it is possible to add individual files and folders - each action has its own button.

List of recoverable files. The names of added folders and individual files are displayed.

Remove files and folders from the list. Files and folders are removed only from the list of recoverable files, not from the archive.

Go to selecting a destination for recoverable files. You can restore files:

• to the original location. In this case, if a file with the same name exists, the system will display a standard dialog prompting you to overwrite the file, keep both copies in a folder, or refuse to copy.
• to the location you specified. In this case, it is possible to restore files while preserving the folder structure, starting from the root of the archive (highlighted in the figure).

Once you have decided on the final location of the files to be restored, click the button Reestablish.

Restoring Previous Versions of Files and Folders

Imagine that you, while working on a document, deleted part of it, saved the file, and closed the application. And then suddenly remembered that they deleted something very important. Or imagine that you deleted a file past the trash, and a month later you really needed it. In both cases, you have a good chance of restoring previous versions of the files.

Restoring from the properties of a file or folder using the "Previous versions" tab is available only in editions of Windows 7 not lower than "Professional". There is a workaround for home editions of Windows 7 and all newer editions of Windows.

Restoring Previous Versions of Files and Folders from Shadow Copies

In order to be able to restore files and folders from shadow copies, system protection must be enabled, which is enabled for each disk separately. It may not be too obvious, but it is the system protection settings that control the operation and amount of disk space for the volume shadow copy service, which provides storage for system restore points and shadow copies of files and folders.

Shadow copies are not kept indefinitely. They are allocated a certain percentage of disk space, and when the specified limit is reached, the old copies are replaced by new ones. Since it talks about protecting and restoring the system, here I will only consider restoring previous versions.

From shadow copies, you can restore previous versions:

• individual files
• folders with files

Restoring a single file from a shadow copy is almost the same as restoring a file from an archive. In the file properties on the tab Previous Versions restore point.

Unlike a file saved in an archive, in this case you will have options to open and copy the file to the folder of your choice.

In addition to individual files, you can restore folders from shadow copies. The list of versions can be seen in the properties folders tab Previous Versions.

You can open the folder, copy it to another location, or restore it to the old location. When restoring, the system will warn you if there is a file with the same name in the folder.

Restoring previous versions of files from archives (Windows 7 only)

If the file is included in the archive using Reserve copy Windows, in its Properties tab Previous Versions you will see a list of versions and the location will be Archiving.

If, when restoring a file, the system detects that a file with the same name already exists, you will be prompted to overwrite the existing file, save it with a different name, or refuse to restore.

Of course, the same file can be restored from the control panel, but it can be more convenient and faster to do it from the file properties.

Recovering deleted files from shadow copies

If you need to restore a previous copy of an existing file, just go to the file properties tab Previous Versions. But what if the file is deleted? You have two ways:

• folder recovery
• file search (Windows 7 only)

From the shadow copy, you can restore the folder where the file was located, as described above. If you don't remember the exact location of a file, but have a rough idea of ​​where it was in the folder tree, you can restore the parent folder.

However, before restoring the folder, you can try to find the deleted file with Windows Search. Let's look at the sequence of actions with an example. I deleted the file support_center01.png and now I need it. I know what folder it was in, and I'm looking for the file in it (and if I didn't know the exact location, I would look in the nearest parent).

Shadow copies are not indexed, and the deleted file is instantly excluded from the index, so the search does not find it. Therefore, you need to search in non-indexed places by clicking A computer. Searching for non-indexed files takes longer, but your patience will be rewarded.

In the shadow copies, there was not only the PNG file I needed, but also a long-deleted BMP file with the same name, which I forgot to think about.

Why may previous versions of files be missing?

After reading about previous versions of files, you might want to check if they are being created on your system. If you haven't found previous versions, this may mean that:

• disabled system protection, i.e. shadow copies are missing, where previous versions of system files are stored
• a small amount allocated to protect the system disk space, so there is not enough space for shadow copies of user files
• the file or the contents of the folder have not changed - in this case, their shadow copies are not created
• shadow copies work fine, but none of the following is enabled:
  Client for Microsoft Networks in connection properties
  File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks
  service " Work station”, “Server”, and “NetBIOS over TCP/IP Support Module”
  administrative network shares /li>

Summing up the story about file recovery, I want to emphasize that Windows technologies are interconnected. You will have the best chance of recovering files if you use Windows backup along with system protection. You can increase these chances by creating backup images of the system, the restoration of which will be discussed below.

Restoring a system from a pre-created image

Due to the variety of means Windows recovery, I have prepared a comparison table . In it you will find short description recovery methods and how they work, as well as links to detailed articles about each of the tools.

Now directly about the process. By booting into the recovery environment, you can restore the system from a pre-created image.

For a detailed description of how to create a system recovery drive, the recovery environment, and options to boot into it, see Using the Windows RE recovery environment in Windows. The following only discusses booting into Windows RE with hard drive.

Booting into the Windows 7 Recovery Environment from a Hard Drive

To enter the menu Additional options downloads, click F8 after the computer is turned on, but before the operating system loads.

Select the first menu item − Troubleshooting your computer and press Enter. The Windows Recovery Environment will start, where the first thing you will be asked to do is select a keyboard layout.

Select the language in which you have set the administrative password account, because in the next step it will need to be entered.

After entering the password, you will see a menu with recovery options, one of which is Restoring a system image.

Restoring a system image from a Windows RE environment

AT Windows environment RE has various system recovery tools.

You can also select a different image to restore. After selecting an image, click the button Further to start the recovery process.

You can format drives and create partitions, and you have the option to exclude drives from formatting (a drive that contains archival image automatically excluded). Also, you can simply restore the image to an existing system partition. behind the button Additionally hides two more options.

After deciding on the recovery options, click the button Further, and then, in the last window of the wizard, click the button Ready. Windows will warn you that all data will be deleted from the partition and start the recovery process.

If you do not have an installation Windows disk, be sure to create a system recovery disc. This disk will allow you to restore a system backup image even if the hard drive is damaged service Windows partition RE.

As you know, after the release of Windows 10, Microsoft offered to switch to it completely free of charge and even without boot disk or flash drives. To do this, it was only necessary to click on the corresponding icon that appeared in the lower right corner. Many people immediately jumped at the opportunity to try out Microsoft's innovations. But the bottom line is that not everyone liked them.

That is why this article will tell you in detail how to restore the previous Windows versions. This process can be divided into several stages and carried out various methods up to cardinal. Therefore, it is better to enlist, so to speak, instructions and do everything according to it in order to avoid irreversible consequences.

Rollback through the system

Perhaps few people know, but after upgrading to Windows 10, exactly one calendar month is given to refuse and return everything back. Right now we will consider the option when, after installing the OS, you did not like it, and the allowable rollback period has not expired.

Many probably noticed that as soon as Windows 10 appeared before their eyes, a folder called Windows.old formed on the hard drive, or to be more precise, on the C drive. Familiarized persons are aware of why it is necessary, and we will now enlighten those who do not know.

So to speak, just in case, the operating system saves its previous version just in order to return, if necessary. This older version remains in the Windows.old folder. It stays there for exactly one month. That is why it was said above that a rollback from Windows 10 to Windows 7 can be carried out if the deadline has not expired. How to do it?

Now let's move on to how to restore previous version Windows:

You should have a desktop in front of you. Press Win + I at the same time. The Options section opens.

We need the fourth line on the list - "Recovery".

Now there are different variations before my eyes further action. We are only interested in the item "Return to Windows 7".

Feel free to click the "Start" button. After that, you will be asked why you decided to restore the previous version of the OS.

Specify any option to choose from and move on. Even before your eyes, the possible consequences of a rollback and recommendations will be shown. Ignore.

It remains to wait for the progress to complete, and after a while the seventh Windows will be your main OS.

As you can see, restoring a previous version of Windows is not such a difficult thing. However, now the simplest scenario has been presented, and it is also possible that an attempt to restore a previous version of Windows may go wrong. Therefore, we move on to the next method.

Image recovery

The method that will now be presented is extremely rarely used, not because it is not effective, but because it is little known. Still, it is worth mentioning, as this is another way to restore a previous version of Windows. It’s hard to say how long it lasts, it all depends on how you prepared, but everything is in order.

It is worth mentioning right away that a rollback from Windows 10 to Windows 7 will now be considered, although this the way is fine and for other versions of operating systems. And the main thing you need to know is that the recording of the image must be carried out at a time when you should more Windows 7:

Accidentally deleted files on your computer? There are many ways to restore them. But we will consider the simplest one - recovering any files from your hard drive Windows tools. No programs are needed in this case.

Once a day, it creates shadow copies of documents on the local disk. Simply put, it "remembers" all the folders that were in a particular section on a particular day.

In Windows 8, this function is called a little differently - “History Windows files eight". And in Windows XP it is not at all. Piggy users will have to try to recover by accident deleted file s in other ways.

The "Previous Versions of Files" option is directly related to the "System Restore" feature. That is, Windows, creating checkpoints (for the possibility of rollback), simultaneously “remembers” all the folders and documents located in them.

By default, System Restore is only enabled for the partition where Windows is installed. Most often this local disk C. For him, the option "Previous versions of files" is activated. Therefore, if you accidentally delete something on this partition, you can try to recover deleted documents on your computer or laptop.

As a rule, users do not save much on the local drive C. But "Desktop" and "My Documents" are on this partition. Plus "Pictures" and "Music". Therefore, if you accidentally deleted a document on your desktop, then most likely it will be possible to recover it.

How to get files back in Windows 7?

So, you accidentally deleted files from your computer, but you don’t know how to restore them. As noted above, there are plenty of ways today. After all, programs designed to return erased files are a wagon and a small cart. And there are both paid and free ones.

But everyone forgets that Windows 7 has a great feature "Previous versions of files" with which you can try to restore them. And it works much better than some programs. And if you accidentally deleted a folder with important documents (or they disappeared altogether - it happens), then first of all you need to try file recovery through Windows 7. After all, this procedure will take 4-5 minutes, no more.

I want to note right away that an example of file recovery in Windows 7 will be considered below. In Windows 8 and 10, this process is carried out a little differently.

To do this, I will go to the local drive C and delete, for example, the folder Adobe Photoshop CS2.

If it doesn't work out, no big deal. I don't need her 🙂

Ready. I deleted the folder with files, now I need to restore it. By the way, I performed the deletion procedure with the Shift + Delete keys, i.e. irrevocably (bypassing the basket).

Now open "My Computer", select the local drive C and select the item "Restore previous version".

A new window will open showing all available versions of that section. In my case, there are as many as 3. Since I just deleted the folder, so the option for the 16th number is fine for me. To restore yesterday's version of the local drive C, you must double-click the left mouse button on the desired item.

A new window will appear displaying all the folders on the local drive With the status as of 10/16/2016 (i.e. yesterday). And I already see the Photoshop folder I need. I select it, copy it and paste it, for example, on the desktop.

This is how you can recover deleted files from your hard drive using the built-in function in Windows 7.

By the way, it was possible to restore Photoshop not through the local drive C, but by clicking RMB on the folder in which it lay. It is more comfortable. Especially if the desired document lies somewhere deep. In this case, you do not have to look for it.

The only nuance that I noticed was that I had too few previous versions of the folders. Only two: for October 13 and 16. This is due to the fact that too little space was allocated to store the checkpoints. However, this is easy to fix. For this:

Answers to popular questions

Let's go back to the first question. What if you want to get back deleted files from the hard drive that were located, for example, on the local partition D, where this feature was disabled? In this case, this method will no longer help. You will have to try recovering deleted files from your hard drive using special programs.

And to prevent this from happening in the future, be sure to activate this option. To do this, do the following:

That's all. The current (i.e. yesterday's) copy of the documents should appear the next day.

If you have several local drives (D, E, F, etc.), it is recommended to perform this operation for each of them. Who knows what kind of documents you want to “accidentally” delete.

10 facts you need to know

And finally, 10 more facts that you definitely need to know if you decide to recover files from your hard drive:

1. Previous versions are created once a day, like checkpoints. But for this you need.
2. If during the day you changed the same document several times, then only the version that was current at the time the checkpoint was created will remain in Windows.
3. Previous versions are saved for a short time. In addition, their number depends on the amount of space that was allocated in the settings (remember that slider?). When free place ends, the old checkpoints will be overwritten by the new ones.
4. Previous versions of a particular day will not be deleted if you back up on the same day using Data Archiving. They will always be available as long as the backup exists.
5. You can turn off system protection at any time, but in this case, Windows will no longer record checkpoints. As a result, you will not be able to roll Windows back.
6. Previous versions are not available for files that have not been modified.
7. Previous versions are not written to partitions that are formatted in FAT32.
8. If two operating systems (XP and seven) are installed on a computer or laptop, then when Win XP is loaded, all checkpoints on Win 7 will be deleted. In this case, it will be impossible to restore files from the hard drive.
9. Some programs for cleaning the registry and junk on the PC remove checkpoints (for example, CCleaner). To prevent this from happening, you need to add to the exception System folder Volume Information (this data is stored in it).
10. Notebook owners should be aware that Windows 7 does not create checkpoints when running on battery power.

You must have heard about operating system"Android", unless you yourself own a device running that skin. This platform was liked by a good part of gadget owners and is the most common operating system among mobile devices. Since 2009, when the first version of the "robot" was released, the developers have not stopped improving and modifying their brainchild. New versions and updates are released regularly. But is it always necessary to update your device and how to return old version"Android" after the update? We will talk about this in this publication.

Why are updates needed?

First of all, for the correct operation of the system. Developers optimize performance, improve the interface, fix lags, because it is practically impossible to release a perfect system right away, and minor malfunctions will be noticeable only during its active use. In most cases, you can find out about an update using a regular message that will appear in the notification bar. You can upgrade by going to the update center, downloading and installing the new version.

Why might gadget owners be unhappy with the update?

In most cases, after the update procedure, the device should work faster, and all the flaws should be a thing of the past. All that users can complain about is some changes in the interface or, for example, the disappearance of shortcuts from the desktop (accordingly, the applications themselves disappear). This happens because installed programs are already outdated and simply do not correspond to the new firmware.

New versions of applications or their analogues can still be found on the Play Market, and trying to return the previous version of the OS due to the loss of old applications is a rather stupid idea. What else can annoy owners in new version firmware - so this is the appearance of some programs that cannot be removed. For example, it can be new services from Google. And then users without exception begin to think about whether it is possible to return the old version of Android. But most of all those who want to return to the old firmware are among those who tried to reflash their device on their own. Here, a huge number of problems may appear, up to the point that your gadget can turn into a "brick", that is, generally stop showing signs of life.

So before performing such manipulations, make sure that you have enough knowledge and experience, and best of all, contact a professional. Reflash the device only in extreme cases, when you cannot do without it, because such a procedure completely deprives you of the warranty. But you can still return to the previous version.

How to return the old version of "Android" after the update?

To begin with, come to terms with the fact that the standard resources of the system do not provide for the option to roll back the system, as, for example, in the Windows OS. Accordingly, when you return to the old version, all installed programs and personal files will be deleted. Therefore, just before the procedure for returning the old version, do backups all important documents, files, phone numbers and so on. Get ready to say goodbye to user settings, saved accounts or applications, they will be erased all but the built-in ones.

Next, you will have to perform a factory reset yourself. How to do this depends only on your version of the operating system, but most often this item is found if you go to "Settings" and "Restore and Reset". Also, this parameter can be found in "Confidentiality". In any case, finding a factory reset will be easy. Next, you will need to perform a series of actions a little more difficult, that is, enter recovery. And how to return the old version of "Android" with it - read on.

Login to recovery

"Recovery" is a special boot mode for Android, with which you can reset settings or flash the system. If you buy gadgets in trusted certified stores and with an already installed OS, then they should have a stock "recovery" mode. How to enter the "recovery" depends only on your device model. The most common combination is the power button and the volume down key.

For example, if you do not know how to return the old version of Android to Lenovo, then this combination is suitable for most of their devices. I would like to note that before entering the "recovery", you need to turn off the phone. If you are looking for how to return the old version of "Android" Sony Xperia, then here you need to hold down three buttons already: those that we have already named, and the camera button. You can easily find more detailed instructions for various models in the open spaces. world wide web. But what to do after entering boot mode?

How to return the old version of "Android" after updating through the "recovery" mode?

You can navigate through the menu using the " highlight", and to select a specific item, you need to press "select". You do not need to be afraid of this mode, if you delve well - it becomes clear that there is nothing complicated. Now find the line with " wipe data / and select it. A new menu will open in which you will have to confirm the action. After - wait for the reboot and the OS will return with factory settings.

Charge your smartphone

What is worth noting in the first place is that before starting this procedure, you need to charge the device well. It does not matter how long the system rollback takes and how much the gadget will reboot after that.

If during such manipulations in the "recovery" mode the device does not have enough charge and it cannot complete its task, then, most likely, problems with its further use cannot be avoided.

The same applies to self-flashing the phone. For some users, certain system functions disappeared or did not work, up to the loss of touchpad functionality. In some cases, the firmware did not start at all and it was simply impossible to enter the OS. But even then recovery rescued again. If you cannot enter this mode or it simply does not exist, there are a number of simple utilities for flashing this mode directly through the "OS". Sometimes you may need a PC for this task.

We told you about how to return the old version of "Android" after the update. Take good care of your gadget and it will serve you for a long time.

Many users who upgraded an outdated version of Windows to ten faced with various problems. One of the most common among them is a black screen, which can appear both after installing a new version, and directly during the update itself. And if more advanced users can easily solve this problem, then beginners have certain difficulties. However, do not panic and call a specialist at home, because there is a very simple solution to the current problem, although it will make you sweat a little.

The main reasons for what is happening

Regardless of which version of Windows your computer is running, the seventh or the eighth, after updating it to ten, a black screen very often appears. This situation is rather non-standard, since there can be quite a few reasons for this. It is because of this that most users do not know what to do in this situation.

The most common causes of failure are:

- driver incompatibility graphics system with iron;
- system crashes Work Explorer;
- activated quick launch;
the need for re-activation.

The reasons listed above are the most common, however, some nuances still need to be taken into account. Firstly, the black screen that appeared after updating the system to ten may disappear on its own after a while and the normal operation of Windows will return to normal, and secondly, the black screen may hang constantly, but the keyboard or mouse will continue to work in its standard mode. It should be noted right away that we will not consider hardware problems in this article, and all ways to fix problems associated with a black screen when working with Windows 10 will be related exclusively to software tools integrated directly into the operating system.

Rolling back the system to a previous version

Perhaps the simplest and most well-known among the vast majority of users is the way to solve all the problems that have arisen with the operating Windows system, including the black screen, is to restore the previous version of the OS that you used before you installed the top ten.

If you have a bootable CD or flash drive, then there will be no problems with this, and the recovery process itself will not take much time. However, what if you don't have any of these at hand? If you used Windows 7, then there can be no question of any rollback, but if the eight was installed on your computer, then you can do without any available tools and roll back the system to the previous version solely using integrated tools. The thing is that when you upgrade Windows 8 to ten, it is not removed from the PC, but only deactivated.

So, to restore the eight, the first thing you need to do is launch the "Task Manager", activate the execution new task cmd with admin rights. Next, in the command line that opens, start the shutdown /r /o /f /t 00 process, after which the system will automatically reboot.
The next time you start Windows, in the action selection window, we launch system diagnostics, and in the advanced settings we activate the system restore service. Now it remains only to wait for the process to complete, after which the computer will be restarted, followed by the start of the eight.

Black screen during the update process: a solution to the problem

The situation discussed above occurs after the operating system has been updated to the tenth version, however, what if the update process was not completed, but was interrupted by a black screen? In this case, you need to check the compatibility software and discrete graphics system.
In this case, you can do without Windows rollback, and instead you will need to perform a "warm" reboot of the computer. To do this, press and hold the power button for some time, after which system unit or the laptop will turn off. The next time you turn on your computer, the system will check system partition for errors, upon completion of which the version of Windows that is installed on your PC will be loaded.

When the operating system boots, you will need to check the version is up to date installed drivers for the video card. You can do this yourself in the "Device Manager" or using specialized utilities, for example, driver booster. When checking drivers for compatibility yourself, you will need to go to the official website of the graphics system manufacturer and download latest version drivers. If you decide to use third-party utilities, they will do everything in automatic mode. After the drivers are updated, you can proceed to Windows update up to ten.

Another common case that many users encounter is the same black screen that occurs during the operation of dozens. It seems that the update was completed successfully and there are no problems with the drivers, and the initial launch went smoothly, however, the system refuses to function normally. What to do in such a situation?

In this case, the solution to the problem may be to boot the system into safe mode. However, as practice shows, most users have problems with this. The thing is that in the top ten, the standard method for choosing a boot option does not work, as it was, for example, in the same eight. It is not clear why, but programmers from Microsoft to launch the mode safe mode Windows 10 provided a combination Shift keys+ F8, which must be continuously pressed several times at system startup.

After the diagnostic window appears, run through additional settings command line and execute the advancedoptions true command, after which a window for selecting boot options will open, in which you must select the desired boot method.

System Rollback in Safe Mode

If you updated your version of Windows to ten, but kept the system files of the previous version on your hard drive, then you can solve the problem with a black screen by rolling back the system to the previous version. For this purpose, a special service "Return to the previous system" is intended, which is located in the Windows Security and Recovery section.

If you want to roll back the top ten itself to its original state after an unsuccessful update, then you will need to open a command prompt and run the sfc /scannnow command. After the recovery process has come to an end, you can use the hutdown -t 0 -r -f command to check the health of the system. However, it should be noted right away that this process is quite lengthy and can take from 30 minutes to several hours, depending on the performance of the iron.

In addition, you can start a system rollback directly when you start Safe Mode, where you will need to specify in the recovery window checkpoint created during the last Windows backup.

Installing drivers and uninstalling updates

If you installed Windows 10 and a black screen appeared while working on your computer, however, you don’t want to roll back the system to the original version, then there is another method to solve the problem. To do this, you will also need to boot the system in safe mode, and then update the drivers that conflict with the computer's hardware.

To determine which device drivers caused the black screen to appear, you need to go to the update center and view a report of all the drivers that have been installed recently. It is recommended that you uninstall all packages that have been installed during the last week. Next, you will need to independently search for the most suitable driver versions and install them. It should be noted right away that it is categorically not recommended to use integrated in Windows tools automatic update drivers or use third-party utilities.

In addition, very often a black screen in Windows 10 occurs due to the installation of crooked or raw updates, so it is recommended to completely uninstall them as well. Most often, the problem is updating the security system and office utilities, so it is recommended to remove them first. If this does not bring any result and the black screen does not disappear, you can proceed to uninstall other updates.

Manual restart of the Explorer service

Another unpleasant situation when using ten is a system failure that occurs at the stage Windows startup, resulting in a black screen with a moving system pointer. The reason for this is an error starting the Explorer service, which causes the system to fail to start the desktop. To fix the problem, the user will need to start this service on their own.

To do this, you need to start the "Task Manager", go to the "Processes" tab, where you will need to find the line explorer.exe and force the service to end. After that, click on the "New Process" button and restart Explorer by simply manually typing the name of the process in the format in which it was used upon completion. In most cases, the operation of the operating system is then resumed, however, if the black screen still appears, then only system recovery will help solve the problem.

Repeated Windows activation: how to disable?

Finally, we come to the last problem, which in most cases causes a black screen when working with ten. The essence of the problem lies in the license activation file, which confirms the authenticity of the operating system. If the problem lies in this file, then the black screen may not disappear at all even after a certain time.

The solution to the problem in this situation will also occur in safe mode, after loading which you will need to activate the display in the operating system hidden files and folders, after which you will need to find and completely delete the directory of the same name located in the root folder with system files OS. Next, we reboot the system and perform re-activation, after which we enjoy a stable Windows work 10.