lost data set?
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Hello, Yesterday I have been working on a dataset, with a couple of tens of variables and about 500 cases. After I have done some basic statistics (descriptives, explore procedures..) and saved the standardized values for some variables, I closed the dataset. Today, when I searched in the folder were I was keeping it, the set was no longer there. I've tried looking for it in windows with the search option but it just gives me the shortcut which will not open (it says that it has been changed or moved and
is no longer available). This file was kept on a usb stick but I carefully saw that all programes are closed before ejecting the usb. Since I have put a lot of work in this set, I wouldn't like to take it all over from the beginning. Is there any way to recover my data? Thank you! D.N. |
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Probably only helpful for future SPSS work:
-I guess you didn't use syntax, because if you did it would be quite easy to reproduce the analyses. -Closing the programs before ejecting the usb stick does not ensure the data are save: only eject the stick using windows' procedure to do so. Did you pull the stick out of the machine as such or did you "release" it? I am afraid you will not be able to recover the data. A last resort may be to check the temp folder SPSS uses (see Edit -> Options -> File locations) Good luck
On Mon, Dec 3, 2012 at 11:29 AM, Ildra T <[hidden email]> wrote:
-- ___________________________________________________________________ Maurice Vergeer To contact me, see http://mauricevergeer.nl/node/5 To see my publications, see http://mauricevergeer.nl/node/1 ___________________________________________________________________ |
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But
if the dataset already existed in that folder, what could have happened
for it to just vanish like dat? Even if I had given it a do not save
changes, it should still exist but without some changes. Now it isn't at
all? D.N. From: Maurice Vergeer <[hidden email]> To: Ildra T <[hidden email]> Cc: SPSSX-L <[hidden email]> Sent: Monday, December 3, 2012 1:38 PM Subject: Re: lost data set? Probably only helpful for future SPSS work: -I guess you didn't use syntax, because if you did it would be quite easy to reproduce the analyses. -Closing the programs before ejecting the usb stick does not ensure the data are save: only eject the stick using windows' procedure to do so. Did you pull the stick out of the machine as such or did you "release" it? I am afraid you will not be able to recover the data. A last resort may be to check the temp folder SPSS uses (see Edit -> Options -> File locations) Good luck
On Mon, Dec 3, 2012 at 11:29 AM, Ildra T <[hidden email]> wrote:
-- ___________________________________________________________________ Maurice Vergeer To contact me, see http://mauricevergeer.nl/node/5 To see my publications, see http://mauricevergeer.nl/node/1 ___________________________________________________________________ |
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In reply to this post by Ildra T
Hello Ildra, You could try Recuva, a free program that can be found here: http://www.piriform.com/recuva But no guarantee. Antoon Smulders Van: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] Namens Ildra T Hello, Yesterday I have been working on a dataset, with a couple of tens of variables and about 500 cases. After I have done some basic statistics (descriptives, explore procedures..) and saved the standardized values for some variables, I closed the dataset. Today, when I searched in the folder were I was keeping it, the set was no longer there. I've tried looking for it in windows with the search option but it just gives me the shortcut which will not open (it says that it has been changed or moved and is no longer available). This file was kept on a usb stick but I carefully saw that all programes are closed before ejecting the usb. Since I have put a lot of work in this set, I wouldn't like to take it all over from the beginning. Is there any way to recover my data? Thank you! D.N. |
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In reply to this post by Ildra T
"Since I have put a lot of work in this set, I wouldn't like to take it all over from the beginning."
Wow... did it ever occur to you to make a backup copy? Email it to yourself? Put it in the cloud on dropbox or something? Burn it to a 50 cent CD. The data mysteriously going poof? Computers are NOT infallible devices. Disks fail. CYA next time and make multiple backups! ----
Please reply to the list and not to my personal email.
Those desiring my consulting or training services please feel free to email me. --- "Nolite dare sanctum canibus neque mittatis margaritas vestras ante porcos ne forte conculcent eas pedibus suis." Cum es damnatorum possederunt porcos iens ut salire off sanguinum cliff in abyssum?" |
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In reply to this post by Ildra T
see if you
accidentally saved it some place else.
Search for <start> under windows does
not find files that are hidden unless you are very careful about you
search instructions.
See if this helps you. You may have the same file name but different folders or something. 1) if you are still in SPSS click <file> <recently used data> 2) if you have already exited SPSS start SPSS and see what is listed under "open an existing data source". If you are lucky, you may have the same file name but different folders or something or a different file name with a "1" stuck at the end. Art Kendall Social Research ConsultantsOn 12/3/2012 5:29 AM, Ildra T wrote:
===================== To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to [hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the command. To leave the list, send the command SIGNOFF SPSSX-L For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command INFO REFCARD
Art Kendall
Social Research Consultants |
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In reply to this post by Ildra T
Even if you didn't save the syntax file, can't you use the Session Journal
to easily replicate your procedures (see Edit | Options | Record Syntax in Journal)? Matt ===================== To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to [hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the command. To leave the list, send the command SIGNOFF SPSSX-L For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command INFO REFCARD |
Automatic reply: lost data set?
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I will be out of the office until Tuesday December 11th. I will check email periodically. Dr. Gonzales |
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In reply to this post by Ildra T
Dear Ildra,
Please note that in SPSS a "DataSet" is something else than a "Data file". A DataSet exists only in working memory (RAM) and simply vanishes as soon as you close SPSS. It only becomes a "Data file" if you save it to a hard disk/usb/CD/whatever. I think you got some great advice from the list on how to go after your lost data and/or commands in order to recreate your data. Still, I think the importance of saving your syntax can hardly be exaggerated. Many more problems may occur (sooner or later) if you don't. Kind regards, Ruben Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2012 02:29:09 -0800 From: [hidden email] Subject: lost data set? To: [hidden email] Hello, Yesterday I have been working on a dataset, with a couple of tens of variables and about 500 cases. After I have done some basic statistics (descriptives, explore procedures..) and saved the standardized values for some variables, I closed the dataset. Today, when I searched in the folder were I was keeping it, the set was no longer there. I've tried looking for it in windows with the search option but it just gives me the shortcut which will not open (it says that it has been changed or moved and
is no longer available). This file was kept on a usb stick but I carefully saw that all programes are closed before ejecting the usb. Since I have put a lot of work in this set, I wouldn't like to take it all over from the beginning. Is there any way to recover my data? Thank you! D.N. |
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Administrator
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From what I can gather using various occult techniques (ESPss, InterneTelepathy, voodoo , lighting black candles)... There once upon a time was a data file which existed on a USB storage device and was accessed by SPSS . Through various unanticipated acts of computer demons and/or undocumented acts of nature and user intervention said file's current existential status is open to debate.
Aside from having syntax saved (not useful if one has entered the data manually into the data editor - I suspect this to be the case here-). OTOH: This may prove to be a very important milestone in Ildra's computer oriented education. MAKE A BACKUP (or 3) of anything important!!!! Exercise extreme pessimism WRT the reliability of computers. Assume the worst case and be prepared for it. ---
Please reply to the list and not to my personal email.
Those desiring my consulting or training services please feel free to email me. --- "Nolite dare sanctum canibus neque mittatis margaritas vestras ante porcos ne forte conculcent eas pedibus suis." Cum es damnatorum possederunt porcos iens ut salire off sanguinum cliff in abyssum?" |
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In reply to this post by Ildra T
Hi, Did you connect another storage device that changed the drive letter? That can be a little confusing sometimes (e.g., you expect it to be on drive j:\, but it's on k:\ because you also connected a portable HD). I *never* overwrite my raw source data (make it read-only), not even to add columns, and rely on syntax as much as possible (if you didn't use syntax, check the .jnl file in your temp directory), though it can be practical to save intermediate files. Did you also
disconnect the usb stick with R-mouse click > Safely remove usb stick? This may be a good idea: http://lifehacker.com/5863810/do-i-really-need-to-eject-usb-drives-before-removing-them Regards, Albert-Jan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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