Can I recover .txt files from a Samsung Note 4?

[Sean-Mck]

Using a windows pc I have tried Recuva, which some webpages said will work and others said it will not, the Recuva that runs perfectly well scanning my windows PC either does not see the phone or can not scan it, I do not remember which.

I tried two other 'run on windows and connect your phone via USB' software, both asked for the USB debugging to be enabled, which I did, and then they both did nothing. I do not remember their names and they have been removed from the pc

The phone is not rooted and I will not root it, I am scared to try. The files would have been on internal storage and NOT on the removable mSD card.

There is a fair chance these files have been over written and thus beyond recovery but they might not have been...

PLEASE NOTE I wish to recover .txt files NOT photos or movies or contacts or.............   just .txt files.

Thanks

[Anonymous User]

Untested but Recuva ought to see it, does My Computer show it with a drive letter ? If not might have to temp assign one then try Rec again maybe

[Sean-Mck]

Thanks. I will have a look at that.

The computer 'sees' the phone ok, as in I can move, copy, add and delete files but I can not remember if it assigns it a drive letter and all my usb ports are tied up for the next couple of hours soI can not check just now.

[Anonymous User]

You're welcome. I know what you mean 're ports similar here, Santa did not bring me an internal PCI or similar USB external port card, not hugely keen on external hubs personally.

That does bring me to one point , it's highly unlikely but if you are plugging your device in via a a hub etc if possible try next time with it using it's own socket ie no hub.

Regarding drive letters I've not been able to check this myself yet , no time etc. But I would say to not use diskpart for this purpose.

[Sean-Mck]

I have had a look,  neitherWindows 7 nor 10  assign a drive letter, in "my computer" both show the phone as a portable device, nor does their disk management thing show the phone at all so no option to add a drive letter there. Connection via a USB hub or directly connected to the computer makse no difference.

The other suggestion I have found in googles is, on the phone, to change the USB storage mode from MTP? to "mass storage", this does not seem possible. If I untick the MTP option it is immediately reticked and nowhere do I see mass storage.

There are suggested solutions under Linux but they require a rooted phone and I am not willing to risk trying to root it so at the moment I appear to be hitting a brick wall.

Ho hum.

Unless of course someone here know differently

[Anonymous User]

one thought ,, is smart switch installed on both phone and pc ?

regarding MTP , the phone normally let's you change this when you plug it in if you click the notification that usually says charging etc. If windows still won't behave unplug phone , uninstall any Samsung drivers for usb , restart Windows ( don't skip this step please ) then connect phone again after Windows restarts to allow it to get the USB drivers again.

[Sean-Mck]

Smart switch is not installed on either as far as I know.

The "remove the drivers" thing unfortunately did not work, on reconnection etc. it installed 3 drivers, the last being something to do with MTP and I can  not switch the MTP 'off'. As before the box gets reticked immediately. That said I should have said the only other is camera PTP mode or something like that.

I begin to think they are gone for good.

I wont make the mistake of thinking something has been backed up and not CHECKING it has been backed up again