Microsoft Sticky Notes Inadvertently Deleted, Want .SNT file

[zebazga]

I customized the blacklist, removing checkmarks on a few things, such as Sticky Notes, Sound Recorder. My understanding that only things with a checkmark would be removed. I double checked the custom blacklist had saved my changes and used the Remove Bloatware with Custom Blacklist button. However, the apps were deleted.

No matter how careful I was viewing the list and checking the right button, of course it's possible it's user error. I don't care, it's not a big deal, I can install apps if I want to.

Buuuuut, I had information notes in Sticky Notes that I don't have elsewhere. I used Orion File Recovery Software to look for the deleted file without luck (no idea if it's any good; it did find 128,357 files). Do you have any information that might help me find the deleted StickyNotes.snt file? Or could you confirm that there's zero chance of recovering so I at least know?

I thought the project was still maintained. Thank you for keeping up with the issues forum still anyway.

Thanks.

--Oh, instead of the stupid xbox crap when I open a game, one game is giving me a message about needing an app for the ms-gamingoverlay link. Any thoughts?

[Sycnex]

Hi @zebazga - try giving this a shot here: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/onenote-lost-notes/466ab470-d51a-4ee7-9293-e2a92e24c6b1

also, can you please provide the contents of the custom-lists.ps1 file so I can take a look at what was and wasn’t whitelisted/blacklisted?

and please provide the log from c:\temp\windows10debloater.

And this project overall is still maintained. I just work on it in my limited free time.

[Sycnex]

Also, running the Revert Registry changes should fix the ms-gamingoverlay link issue, but if not then try following solution 2 here: https://appuals.com/how-to-fix-the-youll-need-a-new-app-to-open-this-ms-gaming-overlay-error-on-windows-10/

[zebazga]

I don't use OneDrive and there doesn't seem to be any Microsoft\Sticky Notes folder under AppData. I manually looked and am currently running a search on the c drive to see if I'm overlooking something obvious.

I played with the custom list after the fact, but maybe it has history. The two biggees I was sure I wanted to keep were Sticky Notes and Alarms and both are gone. Obviously Alarms had no data associated with it so that doesn't matter. I've attached the files.

Thanks for looking at this. Like I said, kudos for continuing to maintain.

Hmm, it looks like I might have run twice, not realizing it had run? I didn't realize at first the info was in powershell, not the GUI. Also, it wouldn't let me attach because of file type, so I renamed extension to TXT.

custom-lists - Copy.txt

PowerShell_transcript.JO.26b4IQGW.20210330134712.txt PowerShell_transcript.JO.RgN0XS+A.20210329152013.txt PowerShell_transcript.JO.7XbV7UbO.20210330131501.txt

[Sycnex]

Let me know what you find, I am interested. It looks like in the custom-lists.ps1 it was selected to be removed, unfortunately, based on what I can see.

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 4, 2021, at 5:07 PM, zebazga @.***> wrote:  I don't use OneDrive and there doesn't seem to be any Microsoft\Sticky Notes folder under AppData. I manually looked and am currently running a search on the c drive to see if I'm overlooking something obvious.

I played with the custom list after the fact, but maybe it has history. The two biggees I was sure I wanted to keep were Sticky Notes and Alarms and both are gone. Obviously Alarms had no data associated with it so that doesn't matter. I've attached the files.

Thanks for looking at this. Like I said, kudos for continuing to maintain.

Hmm, it looks like I might have run twice, not realizing it had run? I didn't realize at first the info was in powershell, not the GUI. Also, it wouldn't let me attach because of file type, so I renamed extension to TXT.

custom-lists - Copy.txt

PowerShell_transcript.JO.26b4IQGW.20210330134712.txt PowerShell_transcript.JO.RgN0XS+A.20210329152013.txt PowerShell_transcript.JO.7XbV7UbO.20210330131501.txt

— You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe.

[Sycnex]

@zebazga - any other updates on this?

[zebazga]

There is no Microsoft\Sticky Notes folder under AppData. I've attached a screenshot of all the files that were found. Note that the StickyNotes.snt file is from 2018 and it's one I copied from another machine to import. A file with the same name I assume was in AppData and deleted. I don't know what the files that were found in AppData are, but sticky.rec is not a media file.

Any thoughts in general and any thoughts specifically about where files that were deleted went when the apps were removed? I was surprised the two file recovery apps I used found nothing with sticky in the name. There are levels and locations you can narrow the search to. Any ideas on that?

Thanks.

[dagelf]

The old notes aren't in your system restore point?

Somewhat related, you might be interested in installing old Windows 7 Sticky Notes and Calculator. I've not vetted this link myself but probably worth looking at: https://win7games.com/#sticky

[zebazga]

It's hard for me to work on this cause I'm so afraid my notes are lost. I had fewer than 10, but a couple were showstoppers for me.

The oldest system restore point (I've never used that functionality before) is April 23, which is after I ran debloater.

I just don't get why the files aren't being found with file recovery.

The link below says that instead of the *snt file the app now uses a sqlite db at the location C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftStickyNotes_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState. Which, I don't have that subfolder--see screenshot above :-(

Do you think it being wrapped in a package could be what's thwarting the file recovery? I switched to Wise recovery tool which seems better and it didn't find the referenced plum.sqlite file.

If you're out of ideas, lemme know. Thanks for the old links. I do miss calculator!

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-backup-and-restore-sticky-notes-in-windows-10/

[rajdevworks]

@zebazga Did you find any solution? I'm in same boat as you were.

[dagelf]

Not sure if this will help, but I would try voidtools.com everything, and search for .snt as well as but sort by date - you might find something.

It finds files regardless of the file owner or location.