hi, hope you are all well.
This is a bit of a long shot but got to be worth a try as we have come to a brick wall and desperately need some help.
To cut a long story short, as some background for you, a friends Nokia Lumia 800 Windows 8 was stolen by some skank head, the phone had cherished pictures containing the photos of her new borns when they were very ill in hospital. No other backups..we have the phone back but it has been restored to factory settings.
here is the problem, as it does not have a memory card and the storage is internal we cannot get the drive to be recognised by windows as 'a drive'
it states that it is 'generic hierarchial' and I cannot get any software to pick it up. have managed to edit the registry so it shows up as storage and can access it but recovery software just doesn't 'see' the drive. They are MTP and use 128bit bitlocker for encryption.
Can anyone please help with this? the family are gutted and I would really like to find a way to at least try and recover something from it.
thank you for reading and look forward to any help and replies you can offer.
mcdodd
Lumia 800 is WP 7.x not WP 8.
For WP7 only Zune can sent media to the phone.
When the Lumia 800 was new, there was a bootloader hack to get it into USB Mass Storage Mode (this is how the first custom ROMs for the 800 were made). Unfortunately, Nokia patched that out really quickly, and prevented downgrading to that bootloader version. So unless the phone is missing a whole lot of updates, there's no way to get block-device-level access from your PC.
With that said, I haven't been following the Lumia 800 hacking scene recently, but it's possible that there's a way to root the phone. If so, a high-privilege app could (theoretically) get direct access to the storage and attempt to extract the images that way (basically, the kind of software you'd have run on the PC, but run it on the phone instead). That would be a lot of work to write such an app, though.
Also, if Bitlocker was enabled before the hard reset, the data is going to be quite unrecoverable. Bitlocker uses a different master key each time it is "turned on" and cracking AES is not something you can do by whining at people hard enough.
I realize this isn't what they want to hear, but... this is why you back things up! I don't like the "automatically upload my images to Sky/OneDrive" option, but it's there; if you choose not to use it then you're taking responsibility for keeping your photos safe yourself.
GoodDayToDie said:
When the Lumia 800 was new, there was a bootloader hack to get it into USB Mass Storage Mode (this is how the first custom ROMs for the 800 were made). Unfortunately, Nokia patched that out really quickly, and prevented downgrading to that bootloader version. So unless the phone is missing a whole lot of updates, there's no way to get block-device-level access from your PC.
With that said, I haven't been following the Lumia 800 hacking scene recently, but it's possible that there's a way to root the phone. If so, a high-privilege app could (theoretically) get direct access to the storage and attempt to extract the images that way (basically, the kind of software you'd have run on the PC, but run it on the phone instead). That would be a lot of work to write such an app, though.
Also, if Bitlocker was enabled before the hard reset, the data is going to be quite unrecoverable. Bitlocker uses a different master key each time it is "turned on" and cracking AES is not something you can do by whining at people hard enough.
I realize this isn't what they want to hear, but... this is why you back things up! I don't like the "automatically upload my images to Sky/OneDrive" option, but it's there; if you choose not to use it then you're taking responsibility for keeping your photos safe yourself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi, many thanks for your reply, I was sort of resigned to the fact all was lost but thought I'd at least try. I always back things up and advise all my friends to do so, this particular phone had come through a friends boyfriend who I didn't know and hadn't backed up, then the phone was stolen.
The phone was restored to factory settings so I am assuming it has had no updates since then, it is on Bootloader 7.41.0.0 Windows 7.8
Do you looked in the Live Account Online, if the option was set on the Camera, they will Upload all Pics to your live Account.
Related
Hi guys, need your help.
Short version:
i own the XDA Stellar, running vanilla WM6.0. tried to install Windows Live but had to soft reset before it ended. now stuck at the green boot screen.
what besides hard reseting can i do? i don't mind breaking the device if i have to, but i want my data back. particularly my text messages. everything else that i need is backed up.
while am on the green boot screen, if i receive an sms, the phone actually rings. but thats basically all it does. when i connect the USB to my computer, nothing pops up.
anyway i can get access to the files directory?
what i've tried:
- soft reseting a number of times
- remove SD card
- removing sim card
- removing Battery for a couple of minutes before putting it back in
- connecting USB cable. "nothing pops-up on computer"
- SMSing it. "it rings"
- pressing all buttons on surface of device.
no success
thanks for any help
Long version:
i own the XDA Stellar, running vanilla 6.0. today i downloaded Windows Live for windows mobile to update the one i already had on my device. while it was installing before it reached the end, i got a pop-up telling me that i was running out of space. and it just stayed like that, progress bar wouldn't move. so i went to the device deleted a couple of pictures and tried to cut/paste the voice notes from device to storage card. it refused to allow it. so i decided to soft reset.
when i did soft reset, it got to the green boot screen and is stuck there.
after along wait, i get a white screen telling me the device can't boot because i might have "turned off the device incorrectly" or installed an insecure software and that my only option is to hard reset and lose everything.
while am on the green boot screen, if i receive an sms, the phone actually rings. but thats basically all it does. when i connect the USB to my computer, nothing pops up.
anyway i can get access to the files directory?
Thanks
And no mention of a Hard-Reset?
are you saying that there is absolutely no way to read the memory on the phone beside doing it when the WinMobile OS is running right?
that sounds like a completely stupid design. its like having windows without a start disk that gives you access to a command prompt.
having to lose all your data over some OS data corruption is ridiculous
i would really appreciate it if anyone knows a way, even an expensive one.
i just had text messages from someone dear to me that passed away that i'd rather not lose.
thank you
Some other things to try
Yes you can check whether the sms messages are stored on the sim card (by putting it in another phone/using a sim card reader). On my TyTN II, the SMS Messages are stored there and it's only emails that use phone or memory card memory. You could also try removing the Sim before booting (one thing not on your 'tried' list but if all this fails, the only other thing I can think of short of a hard reset, is contacting Microsoft about their Windows Live software. There's a website for support of these products and Microsoft staff will actually get back to you (I had need to contact them over a bug in the email portion of their software some time ago). Best wishes
seeing as i have over 2000+ messages in there, i don't think the sim card could actually help me in this case.
but thanks anyway
i still can't believe they made a phone with a memory that could only be accessed through the OS
VeraMedix said:
i still can't believe they made a phone with a memory that could only be accessed through the OS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Including any additional way of accessing it uses up more storage memory for the relevant program and on a mobile device (unlike a desktop PC), that's very valuable space. Maybe some of your sms messages (the most important ones) may be on the sim - you have little to loose by checking. What about trying to boot it without the sim card in or contacting Microsoft as I mentioned? Not all your options have run out yet but you seem to write as if they are....
Flying Kiwi said:
What about trying to boot it without the sim card in or contacting Microsoft as I mentioned? Not all your options have run out yet but you seem to write as if they are....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@Flying Kiwi
thanks for replying. i actually did try to boot it without the sim card after you suggested it. it didn't work.
and with regards to contacting Microsoft, i'll give that a go but i doubt they'll be able to help if people here can't. as we all know, XDA Developers kick ass.
with regards to checking the sim for the messages, i don't have a spare phone to try it on just now, and if i remember correctly, sim cards don't usually hold more then 15 text, though i might be wrong.
the thing is, the fact that my phone still rings when it receives a messages, kinda makes me think the OS is partially loading. i was hoping someone could suggest a way for me to force enough of it on to reach my files..
am starting to lose hope.. *sigh*
am really thankful to the people who have replied so far.
P.S. oh yeah, Flying Kiwi, could you give me a link to the WM6 support page that where people actually reply to you since i can't find any support besides that to MSDN account holders, either that or paying £200 for one single phone call that last upto 8 hours at which point it could just end up with them just telling me to hard reset. thanks
can anyone help me out here? anyone with a link or an email address i can get support from Microsoft for WM6?
i have a similar problem, is there anyway to get data from phone if the OS is corrupt and the system is stuck at the green bootup screen?
please say yes.
Themse said:
i have a similar problem, is there anyway to get data from phone if the OS is corrupt and the system is stuck at the green bootup screen?
please say yes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you activesync before this happened yes you can get some info.
Hi,
My phone just received from 2 weeks has initiated the reset being locked in my pocket.
I had few pictures with my child captured with this phone and not uploaded on the Skydrive.
I don't have in Zune an update for the OS applied to the phone to make a simple recovery.
I wanted to use an application to try to recover the photos from the internal drive of the phone. Applications from the Internet for photo recovery does not see the phone as an USB drive as they said. I see my phone in Windows Phone as a Phone on a Windows 8 desktop and I can browse to copy file to and from the phone but I cannot allocate a letter drive or make a photo recovery application to see the phone as a drive to try a recovery. All applications below I used but no success they don't see the phone as a drive (ByClouder, Tenorsoft, Wondershare, Odosoft..etc)
[Do you know how to try to restore the photos?
Thank you,
Ovidiu
How to recover deleted files windows phone
A good way to recover deleted files from Windows phone is to use data recovery program, take a look at this one: Windows phone data recovery
hope this helps.
For a 920? Yeah, no go, sorry man (or lady). For phones which use a removable microSD card, you could try using data recovery tools off of that. The 920 doesn't offer any way (that I know of) to have direct access to the block storage driver, though, and that'll make it nigh-impossible.
It's vaguely possible that you could recover from whatever caused the unexpected reset by doing something like hard-rebooting the phone (harder of phones without removable batteries, but I think you can do it by holding Power for like 10 seconds) without going through with the first-time setup stuff, but it's a long shot and if you're already past there, no dice.
For the future, if you don't want to upload your photos (which I totally understand, I don't do it either) you really want to make sure you copy the off to your PC/tablet, whatever is handy ASAP.
This is probably a lost cause, but maybe there's a glimmer of hope. I just unlocked my bootloader and realized that my phone has been wiped. I'm pretty tired which is part of the reason why I made the mistake of unlocking it without backing up my files. Is there anyway to recovery any of my old pictures or files that were on the phone previously? I'm not one to make backups frequently (last was Nov), which was when I was starting to attempt this process., but I will definitely make them frequent from now on. I was hoping I might be able to use a program like recuva, but since the phone isn't detected as a drive letter I can't.
tldr - Unlocked bootloader, forgot to make backup. Is there a way to recover anything?
First rule of data recovery: stop using the device, NOW.
Doesn't matter if it's your only smartphone or not and is a necessity, every moment it's on means another moment that data can (and probably has been) overwritten by new data and is never going to be recovered.
Having said that, the "drive" meaning the internal storage should still show up as a drive letter and accessible in Windows, and it should show up as accessible under Linux or even OSX as well since it was wiped and is now basically ready to be used (given that the old data is probably there but the file allocation or journal entries for the data were cleared out). All that happens when you unlock the bootloader is the device forces into a full factory reset so when that's done, you're left with a clean fresh installation of the OS with no personal data on it (which you already understand, of course, hence your post/thread) but the phone SHOULD be working normally at that point; there's no reason if it's working properly that you wouldn't see a drive letter when it's attached to your computer - I'm guessing it's a PC since you mentioned Recuva which is a Windows-only application.
As long as you have the necessary drivers installed (HTC Sync installs them, then you can remove HTC Sync and the drivers will remain as a separate Add/Remove Programs entry), the phone should show up like any other device attached to the PC.
If it's not showing up as a drive letter then something else is wrong.
If it does show up (and again, the longer the phone is on the higher the chance important data of any kind will get overwritten) then you can use one of the following:
- TestDisk which is a completely free data recovery application that shouldn't have issues finding data on the internal storage if it's still there - I personally have used this data recovery software with pretty much perfect success in the past for accidental wipes of data on Android devices; I make no promises, just offering the suggestion
- EaseUS MobiSaver for Android is a somewhat newer product and it claims to be completely free (some data recovery software will find data but then charge you to actually do the recovery process) but I can't say for certain if that's the actual case. It claims to be able to recover data so, if it's free then it can't hurt I suppose
Just realize again that the longer the device is powered on the higher the chance that data is being damaged if it's sitting there on the internal storage so, pick one of those applications, give it a run and see what happens.
Good luck...
Thanks, I'll have to look into those a bit later. I shut the phone off within a short amount of time after the wipe, unfortunately that was probably longer than it should've been on. I'm going to switch to another phone for the time being and leave the M7 off. I could access it, but it isn't assigned a letter and instead shows up as a device, i'm guessing that's because it's internal storage. I did find another method, but i'll try those first.
I have a T-Mobile Lumia 810 that I want to give it to someone to take photos. Lumia, to this day, still have some very cool photo / video features. However, the phone currently have my Microsoft account on it. Now that Windows phone is no longer supported and Windows Phone store is inaccessible. But some functions, like Outlook is still working.
I am afraid that reset means bricking. Does anyone know what will happen if I reset the phone now? Will I be able to swap my account but keep some of the apps?
You will get only preinstalled apps.
Hi All, long time user of XDA forums but havent had to root a phone in a while.
I deleted some pictures in error from my phone yesterday and am desperately trying to figure out a way to get them back. They dont appear in the recycle bin and they dont appear with a standard file search app, thousands of pictures do but not the ones I deleted.
Apparantly I need to root the phone to get better access rights to do this, but am I right in believing that rooting the phone will delete everything anyway?
Any way to do this please? I really need some help with these important images.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (UK) 5G SM-G998B/DS
Regards Tony
Don't try to use trashware like DrFone.
The internal memory is encrypted by default so if you lose that encryption key for any reason you are boned.
If you can use adb to access the unused portion of the drive, that may work.
Using ADB in recovery mode - recovering files from a locked phone
Hello, here's my problem: I accidentally put a schematic as a code on my phone that I immediately forgot. Now that I only have access to the lock screen, I can't put my phone in file transfer mode because I'd like to retrieve it before resetting...
forum.xda-developers.com
If you are successful know that the folder structure has been lost. The jpegs will be disassociated from their exif data, time stamps, image numbers, etc have been lost forever.
Using that phone at all may overwrite the data as it's now free space for the system to use; power down the device until ready to attempt recover.
Backup all data before you begin whatever you attempt!
Personally at this point I would have written them off. If you do recover data, you'll understand why. In the future use a gallery that has a trash bin if possible.
Redundantly backup critical data to at least 2 hdds that are physically and electronically isolated from each other and the PC. A OTG flashstick can be used for quick "dirty" backups. Don't use as a primary backup.
If you can mount your phone on a PC using a USB cable, you could try a PC based file recovery program. (I honestly don't know if it would work over a USB cable, but no harm if it doesn't.)
Be careful where you get the recovery software. There are lots of people willing to promise the world, take your money, and blame the file recovery ghods when they can't recover squat.
The one I'd try first has the worst user interface, but it's free and has saved my butt more than once. It's called PhotoRec. (It's packaged in with a drive recovery program called TestDisk.) PhotoRec supports a bunch of Linux/Android disk formats (many only handle FAT and NTFS variants, which won't help you). Just be sure you read the instructions and be sure to direct the output to a dedicated folder on a drive different than your phone.
TestDisk Download
Download TestDisk & PhotoRec. TestDisk is a free and open source data recovery software tool designed to recover lost partition and unerase deleted files. PhotoRec is a file carver data recovery software tool.
www.cgsecurity.org
I just noticed that PhotoRec finally has a Windows based GUI implementation called QPhotoRec. Same download location as I mentioned in the previous message. But should be a fair bit easier to use.
Note: If QPhotoRec can't see your phone on the USB cable, you might still want to give PhotoRec a try.
One last note... As long as you continue to use your phone, it is still writing things to the drive that holds the pictures you want to recover. If the phone happens to overwrite the place the photos sat on, they're gone forever. So it's best if that you power off your phone until you can make an attempt to recover the photos and you move quickly to make the attempt... Good luck.
After the recent dumping of Samsung Cloud and the forced migration to a Microsoft cloud drive,I lost a bunch of photos from my alternative device (I had 2 phones and 2 Samsung Cloud accounts- but the changeover couldn't handle the 2 account bit, both phones ended up with the exact same data) and I tried several methods to recover the lost data and eventually had to give up. Good luck.
Relying on cloud to backup files is crazy. Keep a couple hard drives/usb drives for that.
rafaelinux said:
Relying on cloud to backup files is crazy. Keep a couple hard drives/usb drives for that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cloud backup is safer than keeping a couple of hard drives and usb drives. By design cloud storage is replicated a minimum of 3 times across 3 regional data centres, each having multiple copies on distributed storage with multiple backup services and UPS.
Your data is not safer on two USB drives vs a Google data centre. Do you keep them in fireproof and electronic magnetic proof safe? If not then your backups are not protected at the first step, physical protection. Do you cycle the hard you use, change the drives regularly so that there is no chance of hardware failure, do you consider MTBF rates of the devices you use? USB drives have a limited number of writes so using them too much may risk the data on them. Do you use multiple off-site safes? If both are in one place and there is some disaster (building collapse, or fire for example) then you've lost your backups. Each site needs a fireproof/EM proof safe which adds a huge extra cost.
did you check the trash folders?? usually deleted files stay on for 30 days unless physical deleted from the trash like windows
ScalesOnline said:
Hi All, long time user of XDA forums but havent had to root a phone in a while.
I deleted some pictures in error from my phone yesterday and am desperately trying to figure out a way to get them back. They dont appear in the recycle bin and they dont appear with a standard file search app, thousands of pictures do but not the ones I deleted.
Apparantly I need to root the phone to get better access rights to do this, but am I right in believing that rooting the phone will delete everything anyway?
Any way to do this please? I really need some help with these important images.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (UK) 5G SM-G998B/DS
Regards Tony
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What app did you delete the photos in?
Each app will have its own "delete/recycle" solution. For example, if you delete photos in Google Photos they are kept in the "Bin" for 30 days. If you used a file manager it may have a recycle bin or may have permanently deleted using write over to provide a true delete function.
Rooting like years agao
I am cool with what i have now
Yes you do for acces to internal memory