I came home and my computer had restarted itself , it has done this once before, I bought it in January . The first time was only a day or two after I got it and when Windows restarted it reinstalled everything as if it was brand new again . Today it did the same thing and everything is gone , pictures, my tax return , my browser . I can't find the pictures I guess they are just gone . Why is it doing this how can I stop it from doing it again ? I am so upset I could scream . Thank you for any help

This is not normal by any means, if you bought this back in January, I would take it back to who ever and have them check it out. It sure sounds like a defective or corrupt BIOS, mobo and/or CPU. It should be still be under warranty.

Originally Posted by bassfisher6522

This is not normal by any means, if you bought this back in January, I would take it back to who ever and have them check it out. It sure sounds like a defective or corrupt BIOS, mobo and/or CPU. It should be still be under warranty.

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Valerie:

So sad. But help is on the way. Since your computer is new you probably haven't had time to learn very much about Windows.

You should go to the book store and buy either Windows 8 Step by Step or Windows 8 in Depth.

I have been at this for a very long time and I too have been whacked more than once. It isn't IF it will happen but WHEN it will !

There's always the possibility that you have been attacked by worms, viruses or hackers who are constantly on the prowl like circling buzzards.

Your files are still on the computer, most likely, in several places. In hidden files, maybe in the trash bin and can be retrieved. Or in system restore. That will take you back to a previous date and re-up all of your files.

Win 8 has a feature that saves files automatically. It also has provisions to make several discs which you should do.

I always use an external hard drive for backup. There are tons of external devices, DVD, flash drive, SD chips which HUGE GB capacity to store data.

Too there are commercial firms that will back up your data on their servers for around $50 or $60 annually.

I have been whacked so many times that I hire a professional Guru firm $169.99 annually, unlimited phone calls.

Windows 8 too has a feature in Sky Drive to store your files on their server.

You'll need to develop some astute integrity to protect yourself.

To keep Windows 8 from automatically deleting your data you'll need to look at the many settings available and that will take some time.

If through some misstep or misunderstanding on your part YOU deleted the files unwittingly, that could be a problem retrieving them.

Please let us know how you make out.

OLD Thread!

Look at the date a thread was started, before posting to it.

If the problem has not been sorted out by now, it never will be.

My computer, for instance, is set up in the bios to turn on when line power is applied.
So if there is a power failure, it will reboot when the power comes back.
Or, when I apply power to the system, in the morning, through a switchable power strip, the PC comes on, boots up and then goes out and gets my email. All with just one flip of one switch.

But to keep a computer from coming on when it shouldn't, just plug it into a power strip and then shut it OFF.
It don't get NO simpler than that.

As for all that lost data....why on earth, in this day and age, was it not all backed up???
All that stuff should have been backed up to an external hard drive, or Flash Drive.
My sympathy level is extremely LOW for those who refuse to back up their data files.
Flash drives are dirt cheap these days and even a 1Terrabyte external hard drive can be had for well under $100.
I have both..... and I back up all my data files to both, every day, with a simple little batch file, using the old DOS command, "XCOPY".

I've set up daily backups for many of my own customers, to back up all their data to a Flash Drive, plugged into a USB port on the back of their PC (permanently). That can totally PRE-clude loss of data from a hard drive crash, virus infection, etc.

Cheers Mates!
TM