Classic Shell: Forum

Aye yai yai, I feel very terrible today.
Maybe it's happened to you as well.

I started making text adjustments to an up and coming skin,
that I worked off and on for long time. I always made a copy after many changes, and put in a new folder.

Big problem, big setback.
I made the adjustment on an older copy, by mistake. Then it saved the change to the last used location,
overwriting the most updated skin file, with a very old just modded file.
So I now lost everything I did for about a months work. Could not find any software that can undo an overwritten file. They only work for formatted or recycle bin files .
So I learned something today. Making backup copies means nothing,
unless they are revised with alpha/numerics added, and even then,
switching between multiple skin files and saving with resource hacker, can still trip one up.
Have to really be aware where it's saving the file.

I'm going to use "save all resources" feature, so bitmaps and text files are separate from the skin file.
So if I'm sleepy or drunk, or just plain stupid, and screw up the wrong file,
I can assemble a new skin file relatively easily

Back to the drawing board.

Which OS are you running?

http://www.wikihow.com/Recover-Overwritten-Files

You may have backup copies of the file stored on your pc, and not even know it (hopefully)

Good luck.

Thanks for caring Jcee.

I saw that webpage before too, after the fact. Tried a few programs that worked before for deletions, Recuva, Easeus, usually the best, Photorec. None helped this time for overwritten file. Yep. Win 8 ripped out Previous Version feature and gave File History instead. Never even knew how to use it, until seeing that wikiHow page.
I may have overwritten a few other times before for other skins, wondering "I thought I made that change already?" Does Reshacker put an older version if it crashes?" Now I know, it was me all along messing it up
It's over now. Spent long enough looking. The skin wasn't that great anyway. Got to stop making big skins with 20 option buttons. I'm going to redu and break up the skin into probably 3 or 4 mini skins instead. Diversify for better security .

I plugged in a 32 gig usb drive at back of computer, and set up for File History use. Taking forever for it saving copies. Will see if File History is any good with a test on weekend.

Thanks.

reshacker does create a filename_Old.skin file when you use the save option, but not with the saveas though you probably would have seen this file were it in the locale you wanted

I was going to suggest Previous Versions which would've been perfect for this scenario. Unfortunately, the morons at Microsoft ripped this useful feature out in Windows 8 and made a really crappy replacement in File History. In Windows 8, File History does not even do delta/differential backups! It's another reason to continue using Windows 7 still and not move to later "improved" releases.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

Guess MS wants everything in the cloud, so shadow copy is out, well almost.
If I recall they were going to cut out system image part of it, but luckily they left it in.
I backed up once a month and was a great help with stubborn virus/whatnots. Saved me a number of times.
Stopped using it about half a year ago, as antivirus software much better, or websites cleaner these days.
Probably would not have helped in this case, backup gaps too long.

You are right GauravK, about the "File History" function. Got home turned on computer, checked a desktop skin file. I had left computer on for hours the night before, for it to do its thing.
Still saving, huh? I had originally plugged in a 128 gb drive, and even after formatting, said it can not use that drive, choose another drive. Put the 32 gb in. Not impressed so far. Will switch to a usb 3.00 speed to see if that works. Do I have to buy another same size hard drive, just for it to work? Holy moley.