File missing, I'm lost

[kevs1]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
Processor: Power PC

I've never had this happen before. A very important file, (excel file), is gone from the hardrive. I've don't searches. I have no idea where it is. I did not accidentally ersase it or anything. I'ts in recent file menu, but then does not come up. I'm totally lost, anything I can do?

 

[Carl Witthoft]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
Processor: Power PC

I've never had this happen before. A very important file, (excel file), is
gone from the hardrive. I've don't searches. I have no idea where it is. I
did not accidentally ersase it or anything. I'ts in recent file menu, but
then does not come up. I'm totally lost, anything I can do?

Did you check the Trash? Did you search for a subset of the filename,
in case you accidentally changed the name? Did you search for all
".xls" files to see what comes up?

 

[kevs1]

I accidentally deleted, then cleared the trash. Real disaster. I tried a couple of recover programs, did not find it. thanks!

 

[Laroche J]

I accidentally deleted, then cleared the trash. Real disaster. I tried a
couple of recover programs, did not find it. thanks!

Kev,

You ask this question in the wrong place, even though you may have lost an
Excel file. You'd do better to look on Apple's forum for this kind of
advice, at http://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa

This being said, you didn't mention which recovery programs you tried, but
in addition to a built-in utility in OS X 10.5, did you get a look at those
on Macupdate.com?
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/10259/data-rescue-ii
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/20975/trashmagic
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/28814/skavenjer

You are aware, are you, that your chances of recovery are better if you
stop, as much as possible, saving new files to this hard disk after emptying
the trash? That's because the freed space will be pretty soon used by new
data. Even just using the computer generates new files all the time by the
operating system. In the meantime if you can save to another drive (even a
USB thumb drive) that would be useful.

Finally, don't you have a backup system in place? That would be a good time
to start thinking about one.

JL
Mac OS X 10.4.11
Office v.X 10.1.9, Office 2008 trial