Lost files on server - please help.

midlandsmissus

I have a major problem. I am a teacher and there is a computer room in my school.

One of the students had to prepare a project for me worth alot of marks for her subject.

The computer room is laid out like this (excuse my limited tech knowledge) 12 workstations and a tutor computer. Connected by a server. Each student has their own folder on the server which they can access from their work station.

The student above printed off a copy of her project for me and then remarked the next day that she had accidentally deleted it from her folder - accessed by her on her workstation. I then immediately looked for her printed copy which due to Murphy's Law seems to have dissapeared in our office and I can't find it anywhere.

I am now seriously panicking.

My sole experience with servers before was in a work environment with a back up server computer which made automated back ups every day. However this server is not like that - it is just a rectangular box like a sky box in a cupboard.

Is there any way I can recover this file?

Ctrl Alt Del

Hi,
Sorry for your troubles.

As the user has deleted the file from her workstation and the file was located on the server shared location,you will not find it in the "Recycle Bin" (which is available only for local stored locations).
That rectangular box is not your server.Is your Cisco Router provided by NCTE, for your internet access.Is marked with your school roll number.I work with schools on a daily basis...

First call is to approach your IT Support company or Consultants and see if they can do something for you.
Second,do a search on the user's PC Recycle Bin,it may have been stored and been deleted locally.Then,you can recover it from there.

If you do not have something in place and if you are based in Dublin,as a boards member,i can do a support call ,free of charge ,in your school and attempt a recovery from a current backup if you have one...or...i can give you the bad news that is been lost !

PM an address and we can take it from there.

Regards

midlandsmissus

Ctrl Alt Del wrote: »

Hi,
Sorry for your troubles.

As the user has deleted the file from her workstation and the file was located on the server shared location,you will not find it in the "Recycle Bin" (which is available only for local stored locations).
That rectangular box is not your server.Is your Cisco Router provided by NCTE, for your internet access.Is marked with your school roll number.I work with schools on a daily basis...

First call is to approach your IT Support company or Consultants and see if they can do something for you.
Second,do a search on the user's PC Recycle Bin,it may have been stored and been deleted locally.Then,you can recover it from there.

If you do not have something in place and if you are based in Dublin,as a boards member,i can do a support call ,free of charge ,in your school and attempt a recovery from a current backup if you have one...or...i can give you the bad news that is been lost !

PM an address and we can take it from there.

Regards

Thanks so much for the info, you're so kind. I have googled Cisco router and yes that seems to be what I am describing, thanks . So is this nothing to do with the server? Do you think there should be another server computer in place somewhere in the building? I have yet to ask as this happened late Friday evening.

I have already checked her deleted folder, no luck.

Thanks so much, how kind of you (re: visit), but I'm actually in Westmeath

Ctrl Alt Del

midlandsmissus wrote: »

Thanks so much for the info, you're so kind. I have googled Cisco router and yes that seems to be what I am describing, thanks . So is this nothing to do with the server? Do you think there should be another server computer in place somewhere in the building? I have yet to ask as this happened late Friday evening.

I have already checked her deleted folder, no luck.

Thanks so much, how kind of you (re: visit), but I'm actually in Westmeath

Ok,
Have you checked her folder from SAME computer that she used last time or when she reported that she deleted the file !?
Has to be same computer...

Re Server... i need some more information.

Go to teacher computer.click Start,Run and type CMD
Then in the command prompt (black window) type in

ipconfig /all

If you can copy and paste the lines here,is a starting point !

that may show if you have a server or not ...

Also,go to student computer and ask her to show you where the file has been located,before deletion.
If is "My Documents" Recycle Bin may work ,if is on a something not Local Drive C:...is on the server !

I can do a remote support session with you,on your tutor computer,without violating your network,as you can watch my actions on your screen ! come back with the info from "the black screen" and we'll take it from there...

PS
Whatever you do,do it when kids are not around.
Take a large breath and plenty of patience !!!

jamesd

If its server 2003 then theres a chance that previous versions is turned on - so from a workstation right click on the students folder and select the Properties command from the resulting shortcut menu. When the folders ’s properties sheet appears, the you must select the Previous Versions tab to reveal any previous versions of the folder that may exist, select the data before the student deleted it and click view - then if you see the file in there just right click on it and copy and then paste that file into the proper location.

midlandsmissus

Okay after I get to the black page this is what it says. thanks for your help.

Windows IP Configuration.

Host Name: Ip Tutor
Primary DNS Suffix:
Node Type: Unknown
IP Routing enabled: No
WINS Proxy Enabled: No

Ethernet Adapter Local Area Connection:
Description: NVIDIA nforce Networking controller
Physical Address: 00-24-21-03-C8-A5
DHCP enabled: Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled: Yes
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.0.1
DHCP Server: 192.168.0.1
DNS Servers: 192.111.39.1
192.111.39.4

Lease obtained 23/04/2012
Lease expires 24/04/2012

Ctrl Alt Del

Hi,
Don't think you have a server...
DNS having 192.111.39.1 means that you get configuration from NCTE router and not from local server.
Also,no DNS suffix confirms that is a workgroup mode and not domain /server based !


Can you check on student computer where she normally saves the files !?

Last test and confirmation...Right Click on My Computer icon and Select Properties.
Then,second tab "Computer Name"...can you tell me what is the domain name or workgroup name,please !?

midlandsmissus

Ctrl Alt Del wrote: »

Hi,
Don't think you have a server...
DNS having 192.111.39.1 means that you get configuration from NCTE router and not from local server.
Also,no DNS suffix confirms that is a workgroup mode and not domain /server based !


Can you check on student computer where she normally saves the files !?

Last test and confirmation...Right Click on My Computer icon and Select Properties.
Then,second tab "Computer Name"...can you tell me what is the domain name or workgroup name,please !?

I didn't think we have a proper server, but I'm confused. If a student saves a file on workstation they are told not to save to desktop as it will be lost when computer is turned off.They go to to desktop -server icon, when they click into this there is public and private fplders, private which can only be accessed by staff including me, and public which has each students file and can be accessed by them. It is her file on this public folder that she erased.
I'm confused, are we just calling it something it isn't actually is: i.e. a server when it's not?

I checked that system proerties, it says Workgroup: WORKGROUP.

Static M.e.

Honestly, give someone a call and ask them to talk you through it then ask someone from IT to call out.

The longer you wait, the more chance that file will not be recoverable.

midlandsmissus

Thanks very much guys, learned alot of info. I.T. guy now been called.

Ctrl Alt Del

midlandsmissus wrote: »

Thanks very much guys, learned alot of info. I.T. guy now been called.

Thanks...
Let us know what happened !