# Computer help please



## Antman (Oct 19, 2013)

Hi all,
quite some time ago I found a photo on my PC that didn't grab my attention at first, but since then my wife has deleted it (I think).
Is there any way to recover the image?
I assume it would be a .jpg file
Is there any free software that will make this easier?
All help much appreciated.


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## 86857 (Sep 5, 2013)

Sorry I can't help much but I presume you looked in the recycle bin. 
She could also have hidden it in a folder so you could do a global search of the whole computer for .jpg or .jpeg. There are other extensions for photos , .tif .gif .png - I can't remember others. 

I'm presuming you are suspicious so I would put a keylogger on the computer and a VAR in her car. They always deliver a lot of information! 

Good luck with it.


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## Chaparral (Jul 17, 2011)

What was it about he photo that has aroused your interest? Any idea how the photo was taken?

There is a thread here about gathering evidence. I think its badbane's thread. If you can't find it pm me.

If you think a photo was taken by her smart phone, you may be able to recover it. Is her phone an iphone?


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## hawx20 (Jan 10, 2013)

First off, check the recycle bin. If shes not great on computers, chances are she may not know that it goes there before being permanently deleted.

Next, if she did delete it off the recycle bin, there are ways to recover it, but it depends on a few factors.

A file is not deleted when you click delete. Its still there. The problem is, the computer sets the file up to be overwritten when it needs the space.

Say she deleted it last night and turned off the computer. You log on today and chances are good you can recover it. Say she deleted it 2 weeks ago and you have done regular work on the computer, the chances are not good you can recover it. It all depends on whether or not the computer has chosen to overwrite the file.

Here is a good website to look at for this

How to Recover Deleted Files with Free Software


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## BlueCalcite (Jul 15, 2013)

I've had good luck with this:

PhotoRec - Digital Picture and File Recovery


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## How am I Going to Surviv (Sep 12, 2013)

BlueCalcite said:


> I've had good luck with this:
> 
> PhotoRec - Digital Picture and File Recovery


I've used PhotoRec too. Works great. the user interface is a little cumbersome. but it will recover deleted and corrupted files.

But do NOT download it on the computer you want to do the recovery on. As was said above, the data isn't immediatly removed when you hit delete. It's just made available for reuse.

If you do anything on the computer, such as downloading this software, it may overwrite what you're trying to recover.


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## BlueCalcite (Jul 15, 2013)

How am I Going to Surviv said:


> But do NOT download it on the computer you want to do the recovery on. As was said above, the data isn't immediatly removed when you hit delete. It's just made available for reuse.
> 
> If you do anything on the computer, such as downloading this software, it may overwrite what you're trying to recover.


Ideally, yes. To avoid that, he'd have to know how to connect the drive to another system, either slaving it in another system, or connecting it via an external enclosure or HDD to USB bridge. If he knew how to do that, he'd probably know the basics of file recovery. Depending on how much expense he wants to incur to acquire the necessary hardware (which isn't much, I know), it's likely that if the picture isn't gone by now, the act of downloading and installing PhotoRec (or the equivalent) is unlikely to be the event that wipes it.


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## How am I Going to Surviv (Sep 12, 2013)

BlueCalcite said:


> Ideally, yes. To avoid that, he'd have to know how to connect the drive to another system...


Here's what I'd do:

PhotoRec is a self contained executable and isn't really installed, per se. I'd download it on another computer and copy it to a thumb drive. Then open the folder on the thumb drive and run photorec_win.exe from there.

Test disk (testdisk_win.exe) from the same guys is the same situation - a self contained executable that can run from a thumb drive. It can, among other things, identify files that have been deleted and copy them to another location. But it would be helpful to kind of know where the file is and something about the original name.

You're right though, recovering deleted files is a pretty arcane skill nowadays. Definitely not for the faint-of-heart.

OP, If you're not comfortable doing this, track down a geek friend that can help. Like others have said, if it's not in the recycle bin, and it's been a while, the chances of recovery are small.


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## weightlifter (Dec 14, 2012)

Antman said:


> Hi all,
> quite some time ago I found a photo on my PC that didn't grab my attention at first, but since then my wife has deleted it (I think).
> Is there any way to recover the image?
> I assume it would be a .jpg file
> ...


aw sh!t. crosses fingers for not another one.


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## badbane (Jun 9, 2012)

Antman said:


> Hi all,
> *quite some time ago* I found a photo on my PC that didn't grab my attention at first, but since then my wife has deleted it (I think).
> Is there any way to recover the image?
> I assume it would be a .jpg file
> ...


If it was deleted then it's gone by now. you have a very very short window of time to recover deleted files. The longer the time goes by (like in seconds) the chance to recover the whole file intact is decreased almost exponentially. Unless she hid it you will not likely find it. Do a search and make sure you enable searching through hidden files and folders. Where did you find said photo. I might be able to help you out with determining how she got the file. ie was it in her downloads folder? if so then likely it was downloaded from a browser and not ripped off of a phone. Which means that if there was something going on you'd be looking for an email or account, facebook, maybe even skype or other form of internet chat client. If you found it in an itunes folder then the picture was either one she took or was send to her via text or email.


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## Antman (Oct 19, 2013)

Sorry guys, I may have given the wrong impression by posting under this part of TAM.
I do NOT suspect my wife of cheating in the least.
I just figured you guys are the pros at this kind of stuff.
The photo in question was of a girl in a provocative pose (kneeling on bed, arse cheeks apart, head buried in pillows) but unable to see her face. At the time I just figured it was a random pic from the internet but then I found some fairly harmless pics of my wife (from WAY before I met her) in a random photo box.
It then occurred to me that maybe that pic was her......
It also seemed suspicious that it was now deleted....
Either way, there is no suspicion of cheating.
It's just that I had asked her if she'd ever be keen to make a video or something like that and she gave a flat NO.
So, I thought if I could drag up the pic I could at least presnet her with evidence that she's been willing to do similar things in the past. Not that we don't make mistakes in our youth (I'm still making them at 38).


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## dontbeused (Nov 15, 2013)

Antman said:


> Sorry guys, I may have given the wrong impression by posting under this part of TAM.
> I do NOT suspect my wife of cheating in the least.
> I just figured you guys are the pros at this kind of stuff.
> The photo in question was of a girl in a provocative pose (kneeling on bed, arse cheeks apart, head buried in pillows) but unable to see her face. At the time I just figured it was a random pic from the internet but then I found some fairly harmless pics of my wife (from WAY before I met her) in a random photo box.
> ...


You are 38 so do the math on that pic being on a computer you have that is how old? Couple years..
If it was an old pic, it would be deleted long ago, on a thumb drive, or in that box with the other pics you found, so I am hopeful you are wrong about it being her. It would be more recent most likely, and was deleted for a reason. Just hope for you it is not her.
Sorry, but I have heard one or two guys say my wife is not cheating, then that changes.


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## Antman (Oct 19, 2013)

dontbeused said:


> You are 38 so do the math on that pic being on a computer you have that is how old? Couple years..
> If it was an old pic, it would be deleted long ago, on a thumb drive, or in that box with the other pics you found, so I am hopeful you are wrong about it being her. It would be more recent most likely, and was deleted for a reason. Just hope for you it is not her.
> Sorry, but I have heard one or two guys say my wife is not cheating, then that changes.


No sorry. When I bought the new PC 5 years ago I made sure I transferred all the files from the old one.
The image in question was most certainly from a time well before I even arrived on the scene.
There is ZERO evidence of her cheating. Really.
She wouldn't have time even if she wanted to. Lolz
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Chaparral (Jul 17, 2011)

She wouldn't have time if she wanted to. JINX. How many times have we heard that?


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## russell28 (Apr 17, 2013)

Chaparral said:


> She wouldn't have time if she wanted to. JINX. How many times have we heard that?


 Too busy working overtime and running errands to cheat


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## hawx20 (Jan 10, 2013)

Chaparral said:


> She wouldn't have time if she wanted to. JINX. How many times have we heard that?


Famous last words of a fool. I should know.... I remember telling a buddy of mine the same thing....they find a way and they find the time.


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## DoveEnigma13 (Oct 31, 2013)

russell28 said:


> Too busy working overtime and running errands to cheat


Ha! Yeah heard those ones before.


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## jdd (Aug 30, 2013)

*Re: Re: Computer help please*



russell28 said:


> Too busy working overtime and running errands to cheat


GPS tracking on a partners phone, hopefully with their permission, can solve most of these concerns.


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## russell28 (Apr 17, 2013)

jdd said:


> GPS tracking on a partners phone, hopefully with their permission, can solve most of these concerns.


It will tell you where they are (in work) but not if they have their pants on... It'll give you a false sense of security.


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## jdd (Aug 30, 2013)

*Re: Re: Computer help please*



russell28 said:


> It will tell you where they are (in work) but not if they have their pants on... It'll give you a false sense of security.


Good thing my partner works in a office with virtually all women.


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