Restoration Problem

A month ago my Dell Inspiron 1545, running Windows 7, got a terrible virus and I had to restore it to factory settings. I wasn’t particularly worried given I back up regularly using Western Digital My Passport WD2500XMS-00.

I plugged in the WD clicked ‘Restore All Data’, it put everything in a ‘d_maileder folder’ from which I dragged and dropped files back into the place they should be ie ‘My Documents’. I don’t really understand why a ‘d_mailer’ folder was created leading me to have to move everything manually - I though the backup was supposed to make my computer exactly how it was.

However I moved everything where it should be and it’s working ok except for Microsoft Outlook and iTunes.

I had to restore Outlook manually and four weeks on I still have no success. I tried doing ‘Restore outlook Data’ - it crashes and says the operation can not be performed. Then i tried ticking boxes separately so just the Inbox would be imported and then the Drafts folder etc etc, the data imported itself into Outlook but again inside a ‘d_mailer’ folder which means instead of all my settings being the way they were I have numerous Inboxes and folders.

As for iTunes, some music has imported and some has not - some folders that I click onto are empty.

On my WD Passport everything looks exactly how it should, exactly how I saved and organised it. But for some reason I can’t replicate this on restore. When it transfers over it only does so it parts and with everything completely different to my original settings and the way it looks on My Passport.

I am willing to do a System Restore to take the computer back to how it was immediately after the Factory Settings restore, if I can only then transfer everything the way it is on My Passport.

I hope there are some solutions out there - any help would be appreciated.

Hello,

In order to better assist you I need to ask you a few questions, please provide me the name of the backup software you are using, according to your model number WD2500XMS is a Passport drive with no backup software on it. However, it has a WD Sync application which is a synchronization software. 

I had no idea until you’ve replied that my WD passort requires extra software to make it a back-up device. Every time I used it I thought that I was backing up, apparently though I was just syncing everything. I’m shocked and surprised that there was no information telling me that I needed extra software. Now I’m in a situation where I have all of my files, music and outlook email on the passport, organised as it was on my laptop before I reset my computer but I don’t know how or even if I can still retrieve all of this - as currently I have it all in part in different places on my laptop.

I would very much appreciate any help/advice/assistance on this.

Regards

Mr Nash