Computer crashed, SAS program file lost all content but remained the same size

[ChrisNZ]

@Kurt Maybe this is important enough to deserve its own Maxim.

[Lifang]

I did save it as a .sas file on my local disk. The problem is that the file turned blank after it got interrupted by the shutdown of my computer, which is odd given that it does have a size of 14KB. Anyway, I agree that the points raised by you and @ChrisNZ are important. Thanks.

[Kurt_Bremser]

Could you post the file as an attachment? If you're concerned about sensitive information, PM it to me.

[Lifang]

Could you please let me know how to PM you the file? It seems that the private message module does not allow me to attach files.

[Kurt_Bremser · Accepted solution]

There's nothing in that file, literally. It is just one big heap of hex 00's.

This looks like some kind of privacy software went over temporary files (on shutdown) to overwrite them with "nothing".

[Lifang]

That's interesting. It happened when my computer suddenly shut down to install certain updates, I blame the windows system then. I guess there is no hope to recover the file... But thanks!

[Kurt_Bremser]

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@Lifang wrote:
... shut down to install certain updates

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That's why I suspect some piece of security software that runs on an orderly shutdown (as this was initiated by some kind of software deployment and not just a typical crash) and erases file contents in places where the security is not that high (e.g. C:\temp).

[Lifang]

This makes sense, even though I did save the file while I was coding and before the shutdown, the system just ignored it and replaced the contents with 00's.

[Lifang]

Thanks for your advice.

[ChrisNZ]

> you won't have access to the location where the files were saved

Not even with a data step using infile ? Is this location known?

[Tom]

Do you have a file with ~ tacked onto the name?  So if your file was named myfile.sas is there another file named myfile.sas~ in the same directory?

Note if you use Windows Explorer to look at files there are setting that can be set that hide the extension (part of the name after the last period).  Personally I always turn off that option as I want to see the full name of the files.

[Lifang]

No, there is no such file in the same directory.