re-running the giveaways is something controlled by the software authors, GAOTD certainly doesn't have a copy they can offer as a rerun out of the blue. I'd argue your statement that one doesn't need to know the details of what a given program is for, how it does it, and what that means for it's use... as not paying attention leads to folly.

I sincerely doubt the final lockup was due to more than cumulative errors.

Hi all,

AY recovery (Light) NIGHTMARE has continued !
After the episode mentioned above, at the next reboot I had press home and disabled protection. Worked with the PC normally whiteout further reboots (using sleep) a few days.

When at time, I rebooted, things went event more frightful than last time ! Could not believe it again ... PC boots started normally but then stopped with a black screen and a white cursor :( I found myself in a state where Windows7 was COMPLETELY DEAD !
I went with another PC for days on Internet to try a recovery without loosing all my 80Gb data, programs ... NO FOUND SOLUTION WORKED ! Full story of what I did here ...
Windows 7 dead caused by AYRecovery

BE CAREFUL !!!

recovery software not help as far as I know as it not wright to the Disk work like Returnil Virtual System, Buffer Zone, Rollback, Wondershare Time Freeze, on startup and Recovery, Time to display list of operating system 30 seconds is std setting, or may be better of with Returnil Virtual System, Buffer Zone, Wondershare Time Freeze,I thank all have a free one as well as Pro.
and you can save files ok.

Hi,
It would have been a nice thing but it is no more the case ... you just have a couple of seconds to react before it is too late (at least in my W7x64 configuration). Action takes place by itself before Windows boot. If you do not press the Home key within seconds, you have no choice to exit or cancel. I have lost some precious files but in my case was lucky as C: is mostly a system disk and I had just backed up lots of recent videos elsewhere ! Also all recently updated files have been rewritten with old versions ...

In other non related cases, especially during professional work in a famous university, I have had success in recovering most of peoples data (thesis, etc.) on NTFS hard drives with Getdataback, not to name it...
BR

Hmmm, I don't understand how this has happened. Surely you can at least use a recovery software to get some of your more precious programs back.

The program has obviously been updated since i used it because it was impossible to do what you describe without first opening the program at boot up. there were no countdowns, you have to physically press buttons to select actions.

I do hope that you are able to recover at least some of the data that you have lost. unfortunately, installing anything after the event is going to mean some of the data that was erased will not be recoverable becasue the newly installed data overwrites the areas that could have been recoverable. That said, it should still be possible to recover some of the data.

I do know how you feel becasue something similar happened to me several years ago when I first used CCleaner. A whole drive was wiped that had data that was no longer available anywhere on the net (Many maps that I'd beta tested for a game called Battlefield 2, some of which were never released. I was in the process of creating a database of BF2 maps, but losing hundreds of gigabytes of files put me off ever completing the task). I wasn't able to recover anything from that disc afters pending nearly £100 on software that didn't do the job (The lost data was worth much more than that to me)

Hi all,
I understand you have to know what a software does... but not in minute details a start and when no danger signs lights up ! But when a software just kills your whole configuration, erases all your precious files on your boot disk after a simple reboot (in that case was a required reboot after windows update) without any question or intervention from your part, there is a serious problem !

And NO, I tried at once ! Windows cannot restore anything because *everything* including recoveries have been erased on your system disk !

I agree that such a software could be useful and not a system killer if :

1. At reboot ASK first if there is a problem or not (instead of just posting "press home for you don't know exactly what the first time it shows and if not press within 3 sec erases all your data !)

2. If you say "Yes there is a boot problem", will open a sort of help page telling exactly what will happen next ! And give you again a clear possibility of cancel.

3. Would make automatically a full backup image of you actual system before erasing all in case you are not satisfied later with the recovery (as Windows does it ...).

This is the normal kind of behavior I have been used with another serious program I have used before in my job. AYrecovery does just the contrary (unbelievable!) : I your PC reboots for any reason and you do nothing Pfutt ! Everything is gone for ever :(

This software is actually a renamed version of Eaz-Fix, which was given away a few years ago.. I loved this software as it got me out of several sticky situations at the time. I seem to remember that you were able to reverse any changes you made. Unfortunately i wasn't able to install the latest version as it didn't support 64 bit. have you tried pressing home during the boot sequence when you first turn the computer on. check to see from the page that appears whether you can recover the last change. (I hope so). I was always a firm supporter of this software because it enabled you to restore your computer to a previous non windows restore point before you entered Windows. This was useful becasue if Windows wouldn't start because of some corruption, it was easy to move back to a previous save. I used to create a save point before I installed anything.

Sylvain,

Sorry to hear about that.
But when installed AyRecovery (light) is active ,makes a snapshot of your system and sets it as the default restore.
If you had pressed the 'home' key at reboot, you could have disabled AyRecovery.
(provided you knew about that)

The front page clearly states the end user is assumed to take the entire risk when installing software.
So Graylox makes a good point , suggesting reading about the software you're about to install first.

But yes,I'm sure there will be reruns of some of the programs you've lost !

Maybe...if remember correctly...and if you chose not to disable system restore during setup ,you can still use the restore points of 7...

Hi,
I am sorry but you don't expect any program to reset your computer 10 days ago erasing all your recent data whiteout any clear warning ! Especially in Windows 7 where anything dangereous is linked with administrator rights and acceptance. I have not seen such a crude & brutal behavior in 30 years as a professional computer engineers !

For such a dangerous software you expect at least a message like : Attention if you click Ok your computer will be restored to its state X days ago ? Are you sure ? Press cancel to continue without any changes... and if you say Ok then : Are you sure ? There is no way to go back to your most recent setup if you continue !

Lacking this this program is like I said a real PC killer and many will be caught if they have installed it !
BR
Sylvain

Hi all,
I have found today that this software can be a real PC killer instead of a recovery program. First rebooted today 06/01 (I generally use 'Sleep') from the 28/12 after a Windows update, I have done nothing and suddenly found my PC back at that date concerning everything on boot C: disk ! There is no way offered to recover to today's state. All the software installations I have done during that period are definitely lost especially about 10 Giveawayoftheday useful softwares, also a code protected zip file containing lots of new codes has been replaced by the old version, etc., etc. ... it is really terrible !

Also all my virtualbox PC emulations are of course back in time too (linux, ...)

Happily my mail and my family picture directories were on another disk than C: or I guess ten days of mails and all the new pictures from new years eve would have been lost too..

The reason of all this : I just installed GOTD AYrecovery on the 28/12 and forgot about it. The program loaded today (without my consent and any explicit warnings of what the terrible consequences would be) an image of the 28/12. One of the worst loss of PC data from a very very long time !!!

Hi Bubby,

I love your sense of humor. [snipped] I believe that those messages were a result of the first implementation of the ability to vote for each message made in the commentaries section.

When I first saw it (working, that is) I was amazed and I welcomed the new ability a lot. It makes reading the comments section easier. The thing that surprised ne is that, to my knowledge, this was never advertized.

One day it just poped up. I like it.
Don't drink and drive SQL Ambulances!

-Mario

I've let them know...

The php/MySQL Ambulance is on it's way...

Every post in the GAOTD comment section has the warning:

"Warning: mysql_query() [function.mysql-query]: Unable to save result set in /home/newadmin2/data/www/newbeta2.freedownloadscenter.com/wp-content/plugins/ck-karma/ck-karma.php on line 48"

I know this has nothing to do with my computer cause I have no /home/newadmin2... directory and I don't even run my_sql.

I posted this in the comnments but it didn't make it through.

The funny thing is that if I open the comments of old GAOTD's the warning shows there too.

I thought the GAOTD folks should know. I am just trying to help.

-pauloparra