# Is it possible to restore a file from a specific hour?



## threesteps (May 15, 2012)

I was working on a drawing in a program called Paint Tool Sai, and my computer crashed. I know I saved the file about 10 minutes earlier, but when I managed to restart my computer and reopened the file, the layer with most of the details was just gone. The changes I made in other layers stayed, but the that specific layer was suddenly empty. Is there a way to restore the file from, say, fifteen minutes before the crash, or is all hope lost? I tried to check the Earlier Versions thingy in the properties, but there are no versions there, at all.

[If this question belongs in the Imaging forum, I apologize! I wasn't sure.]

Thanks in advance,

a very sad, very desperate illustrator


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## valis (Sep 24, 2004)

welcome to TSG....I know nothing of that app, so I can't help, but if we don't get a response by tomorrow morning, I'll move this to the imaging forum.......should be a few folks there that can help, but we may as well leave it here overnight.

thanks, 

v


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## threesteps (May 15, 2012)

Thank you very much! -crosses fingers-


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## valis (Sep 24, 2004)

let me just go ahead and move it there now......worst case, we can always move it back......


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## Oddba11 (May 13, 2011)

I would tend to say no. There typically isn't multiple copies of a file on the HDD from a single app. You could check the temp file folders to see if the app saved a copy there, maybe it's different.


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## threesteps (May 15, 2012)

I thought that would be the case, but I wanted to make sure I checked all of the options.
I just tried looking at the temp file folders, but I'm pretty sure even if Sai saved a copy there, I wouldn't be able to find it. Everything looks like gibberish to me.

Thank you very much, anyway, and have a nice day.


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## DoubleHelix (Dec 10, 2004)

You can if you're running Windows 7 and have shadow copy and previous versions turned on.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/...-versions-of-files-frequently-asked-questions

You also can if your specific backup software runs frequently and makes a copy every time the file is updated.


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## threesteps (May 15, 2012)

Sadly, the system protection option wasn't turned on on that hard disk. I think I turned it on now, but I suppose it's too late...

I'm sorry for the dumb question, but how do I know which backup software I have? And how can I check if it made copies of that file?


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## DoubleHelix (Dec 10, 2004)

Shadow copy functionality is not retro-active. So if you just turned it on now, then no, there are not previous copies of any of your files. 

You know what backup software you're using because you, or someone who uses your computer, installed it and configured it. I use Cobian and Carbonite.


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