Windows 7 How to recover .chk or chkdsk files and a partial solution. Advice what to try next?

[ctech]

I had about 15 files saved as File0000.chk through File0014.chk.

PLEASE CHANGE CATEGORY IF I POSTED IN THE WRONG SECTION.

First I tried renaming them with the likely extensions I use most often, such as .xlsx and .docx respectively for Excel and Word. This successfully recovered over 1/2 of my files. Now I have 5 files remaining, which aren't yet recoverable, even trying other extensions like .pdf, .txt, and .jpg but no luck on those. I believe most of my files are .xlsx since I viewed them in an editor and see the words "worksheet" which are normally related to spreadsheets. I also downloaded and ran the free UnCHK at ericphelps.com and this recovered 1 more file. The purpose of the program is that it automates the filename extension renaming, so that you don't have to do it manually using trial and error to find the correct file extension.

WHAT ELSE CAN I TRY TO RECOVER THE REMAINING 5 .CHK FILES?

Recover CHK Files

With my 5 remaining files, I tried joining some of them, thinking that that might solve something, but that hasn't worked yet. ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS? I haven't yet tried joining different combinations of 3 file fragments into 1, as the permutations of 3, 4, or 5 files would be time consuming.

Here is an example of the code to join 2 files.

copy /b file0099.jpg + file0001.chk test.jpg
The above would take the partially recovered file0099.jpg and add the contents of file0001.chk to it, storing the result in test.jpg. You'd then have to try opening the test.jpg file to see if that helped.

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you've already made some progress in recovering your files but are still facing challenges with the remaining 5 .CHK files. Here are some additional suggestions to try to recover those files: 1. Use File Joining Technique: - Combining Fragments: You can continue combining the fragments of the remaining files, similar to what you did with copy /b file0099.jpg + file0001.chk test.jpg. This method might help in recovering the files by combining the partial data. 2. Attempt Different Combinations: - 3-File Combinations: Although you mentioned it could be time-consuming, trying different combinations of 3 file fragments could potentially lead to a successful recovery. This method might give you more options to work with and increase the chances of recovery. 3. File Header Analysis: - Identifying File Types: Utilize tools that can analyze the file headers to determine the actual file type. This can help in identifying the correct extension to recover the files. 4. Data Recovery Software: - Specialized Tools: Consider using specialized data recovery software that can handle .CHK files specifically. These tools might have advanced algorithms for reconstructing files from fragmented data. 5. Professional Data Recovery Services: - Consultation: If the above methods do not yield results, consider reaching out to professional data recovery services. They have the expertise and tools to handle complex data recovery scenarios. By exploring these additional options, you may increase your chances of recovering the remaining 5 .CHK files successfully. Keep backups of the files you have already recovered to avoid any data loss during the recovery process.