ACOT Message Board

I'll try to make this brief, but I'm not good with computers, so please bear with me. Apparently my desktop caught a virus that deleted or hid all of my files, including my photos, documents, saved emails from the past four years that I kept in my in box, all my downloaded songs, and even my bookmarks on Explorer and Firefox. I took my tower to Best Buy, who said they could restore the files and then back up my hard drive. I specifically told them they were looking for over 200 documents, about 50 picture folders containing over 200 photos each, plus the files I just mentioned. When I got my tower back, only about ten empty folders had been restored, and the Geek Squad had already reinstalled my operating system.

I was furious. Obviously they didn't bother to check to ensure the items I described had been restored before they reinstalled the OS. On top of that, they refused to refund my payment (they require you to pre-pay before they'll look at your computer. Anyway, here's my question...Am I correct in assuming that there is now no way to recover the files since the operating system was completely restored?

Thanks for any info!

I am thinking but do not know for sure because I am a dummy when it comes to computers, but all the stuff you store in email should be salvagable since that is not on/in your computer. I think. Anyway, good luck with it. And shouldn't you have some recourse as the files they did not restore. If it was written down on the work order you should be able to do something. Or get a refund. I would write the manager of the manager or go online and write a very negative review.

I am afraid you are right No chance now the way I understand computers

Thats a bummer! They should have gotten those back as the same thing just happened to my computer and my husband found EVERYTHING! I dont think you can get it back once its been all done. My husband found all my files, then transfered them to a memory stick, then wiped the whole computer and started over and then put everything back. He missed the kids finacial records that they each keep on the computer and they will have to start from scratch now so I see that as meaning you cant get it back. Im sorry.

1grandma wrote:I am thinking but do not know for sure because I am a dummy when it comes to computers, but all the stuff you store in email should be salvagable since that is not on/in your computer. I think. Anyway, good luck with it. And shouldn't you have some recourse as the files they did not restore. If it was written down on the work order you should be able to do something. Or get a refund. I would write the manager of the manager or go online and write a very negative review.

I already filed a dispute with my credit card company. I'm also going to write a couple of letters. I have the names of both the store manager and the district manager. I will never use the Geek Squad again, that's for sure! I'd love to say I'll never go back to Best Buy, but unfortunately I'm sure I'll end up shopping there again.

depends if the files were even on your pc, after you got the virus, just hidden or not. If they only found 10 files, chances are that the virus deleted them, not just hid them. Most viruses remove stuff from your pc, or corrupts them so they are unreadable, they don't hide them.


Did the Geek Squad tell you what virus you had. You could then research that virus to see how it attacks. That would tell you what it did to your stuff.

That is hugely disappointing- I would be most upset!! The pictures especially. As I understand it, no, once the new operating system has been re-installed, no. But did they save the old hard drive? Or did they even remove it? I had my daughter's laptop in at the geek squad about 6 months ago, in the end, should've just bought a new laptop- repairs were around 400.00- ridiculous. But, that aside, they actually gave us back the old hard drive that was bad. If you had that old hard drive, I would think someone could again try to salvage files from it. If your instructions were written on your work order (i.e.- the amt of files to be looking for) I think you should firmly be able to dispute w/credit card company and not pay, or at least a portion of it. If it was all verbal- I am not sure. They can just say you never told them that.

javalove wrote:

1grandma wrote:I am thinking but do not know for sure because I am a dummy when it comes to computers, but all the stuff you store in email should be salvagable since that is not on/in your computer. I think. Anyway, good luck with it. And shouldn't you have some recourse as the files they did not restore. If it was written down on the work order you should be able to do something. Or get a refund. I would write the manager of the manager or go online and write a very negative review.

I already filed a dispute with my credit card company. I'm also going to write a couple of letters. I have the names of both the store manager and the district manager. I will never use the Geek Squad again, that's for sure! I'd love to say I'll never go back to Best Buy, but unfortunately I'm sure I'll end up shopping there again.

You should also contact the Better Business Bureau. They are very helpful and usually resolve things within 30 days. Good luck.

It is my understanding once you re-install an OS - that's it -everything old gets wiped.

I think Traci is right. Seems they wiped your computer than put the folders they found back on. I would be contacting someone at corporate as well.