Data retrieval - loss of extensions

[Channel Hopper]

I've had to pull out an old hard drive that got seriously corrupted a decade or so ago, to find documents relevant to a court case.

Using PC file inspector I've now got a list of about four hundred files that look as though they were within the 'my documents' section at the dates of importance, and are all about the correct size to be word documents. However these are listed as files only, with no extension (doc/docx).

I've transferred these to the main PC and commenced adding the '.doc' extension manually before opening each individually, but this is taking an eon, I'm currently up to thirty or so after an hour.

Is there something within the Windows (XP pro) arsenal that I can use to add the extensions in bulk ?

 

[timo_w2s]

xplorer² is a great replacement for Windows Explorer and has a "mass rename" (free) option which I think would do what you need. http://www.zabkat.com/

Edit: Sorry, free version is here: http://zabkat.com/x2lite.htm

 

[PaulR]

Why not revert to DOS commands?

Open a CMD or Comand Prompt box (or whatever they're calling it nowadays) and navigate to the relevant directory (folder) using the CD command and remembering to use backslashes instead of forward slashes.

Once you're in the right directory use

ren *. *.doc
and all will have a .doc extension.

Probably best to take a copy onto an empty pen drive. That'll make navigating easier as well.

 

[Vipersan]

I use Stellar Phoenix for hd data recovery ..but of course it is not free ..
Cheaper tho than having data recovered by professional outfits..
I think you can download a free version which will scan the drive and list what is recoverable ..but to actually perform the recovery ..you need to buy it.
No changes actually made to the hard drive during the scan..
rgds
VS

 

[hexah]

Linux is our friend.

http://www.sysresccd.org/SystemRescueCd_Homepage

It may find some hidden files. Windoze is notorious for not picking up all the files on dodgy disks.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Maybe I was not accurate in my request.

I now have all the files (plus more) collected by the File Inspector programme in a nice folder named 'retrieved'. These are however just files with no extension to them.

Nothing I have seen in the Microsoft help guide allows me to change the file to something that is compatible with Word, though simply adding .doc to about fifty of these files has liberated 20 valid documents, though trawling through each one, then highlighting, then adding.doc before opening is a real pain, moreso knowing there are about 430 in total. I need only eight to ten out of the total, but liberating them manually can't be the only method available, afterall it is a processing system that got them there in the first place.

 

[2cvbloke]

If they are all known to be Word documents, then do what PaulR said, use good ol' DOS (or the Command prompt at least) to do a batch rename...

Start - Run... - CMD - Enter

Navigate to the folder:

CD \
enter
CD \yourfolderaddress
enter

Then batch rename as PaulR stated:

ren * *.doc
enter

It'll change all the filenames that lack an extension to have .doc on the end in one fell swoop, there's something to be said for the old ways...

 

[Vipersan]

Making more sense now CH ..and I think 2cv has the answer...

 

[Channel Hopper]

Thanks, I will try it when I get back to the office.

Not all the files are word documents though, as File Inspector does not know what it retrieves from a corrupted drive, but these are the only ones I am interested in. Any others converted to .doc will not open under word.

 

[PaulR]

Actually, depending on the version of Word and Excel, Word can open .xls files. The trouble comes when you save that file under Word as Excel won't understand it at all after that.

I used to have the very devil of a job trying to convince people NOT to use Word's Open a File window as an option to Windows own Explorer window. Because the system was set up to hide known file extensions they had very little idea of what they opening that way.