Issues with DataNumen Outlook Repair

Question

Issues with DataNumen Outlook Repair

Robyne (TechnicalUser)

(OP)

23 Apr 15 15:30

This error started showing up in some folders inside a PST for a user - "This message is processed by a demo version of DataNumen Outlook Repair so the actual contents are replaced with this information". I can't find much information on the Internet, just that it's expensive and some have found it to not work exceptionally well, especially for the price. Can someone tell me where it came from? Would the user have had to download and install it? I don't see it installed on the workstation. Or is it some back-end piece of Office? Thanks!

goombawaho (MIS) · Answer 1 · 2015-04-23 16:18:21

Link
Link

Sounds to me like a version of CryptoLocker lite. They are locking you out of your emails until you pay them $200.

Somebody had to install that stuff. If it was the user, need to beat them.
Do you have a backup of the PST file from before the incident? If not, not sure what you can do other than pay.
If you have a backup, restore and run the SCANPST program from M$ before opening Outlook against the PST file

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares."

Robyne (TechnicalUser) · Answer 2 · 2015-04-24 14:56:32

I can't find any trace of it. Not a folder, nothing in the Registry. I've tried restoring old copies of her PST's but I get the same errors. In fact, I opened one of her PST's from my workstation and I get the error. I wonder if their tech support would be of any help.

goombawaho (MIS) · Answer 3 · 2015-04-24 16:05:50

Quote:
I wonder if their tech support would be of any help.

Can't hurt, but I bet they redirect you to SALES.

I've never heard of that stuff before. And who installed it. Do you have a server? Could it be on the server?

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares."

Robyne (TechnicalUser) · Answer 4 · 2015-04-24 22:47:27

Yes, we're using Exchange 2010 - nothing on the server. No response from them. And for what it does, there sure isn't much on the Internet.

ChrisHirst (IS/IT--Management) · Answer 5 · 2015-04-25 04:53:53

The DataNumen tool is a legitimate PST recovery tool, the trial/demo version is just that, a demo that tells you if it can fix the problems before you go ahead and buy the full version of it.

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
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goombawaho (MIS) · Answer 6 · 2015-04-25 12:28:36

Yeah, but who installed it? The OP says (s)he didn't. Need to get the users in a room with a bright light and do some interrogation. Better find a way to eliminate this sort of user-induced problem in the future, assuming it wasn't IT that installed the trial. Is the OP in IT dept?

Looks like you're buying the product or saying goodbye to the email.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares."

rclarke250 (TechnicalUser) · Answer 7 · 2015-04-25 15:30:58

Here is the website, try getting a hold of them.Link Now for some reason the support link on the home page brings up a 404 error, so good luck.

Robyne (TechnicalUser) · Answer 8 · 2015-04-27 15:08:06

No, the OP isn't in IT. And with a very few exceptions, Group Policy has everyone locked out of installing anything. I don't see any trace of it on the workstation's file structure or in the Registry, or on the Exchange server. I can't figure out how it just appeared out of nowhere. If had been installed, then uninstalled, wouldn't this message go away? I did contact their support team - haven't heard anything back yet.

goombawaho (MIS) · Answer 9 · 2015-04-27 16:21:50

Quote:
If had been installed, then uninstalled, wouldn't this message go away?

Unless it's pseudo-ransomware and then I would expect it to behave like it is!!!

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares."

ChrisHirst (IS/IT--Management) · Answer 10 · 2015-04-27 22:19:46

It's not really 'ransomware' as it does clearly state that the trial will only replace the recoverable data with a message that it can be recovered using the full version, as do many recovery applications so one can test to see if it is worth buying, though normally, one would test on a copy of the data first.

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
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goombawaho (MIS) · Answer 11 · 2015-04-28 11:42:01

Sure - testing on a backup is a great idea. But without an opportunity to revert back or remove the product fully, it seems pretty aggressively shady.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares."

ChrisHirst (IS/IT--Management) · Answer 12 · 2015-04-28 14:36:34

Why?

Like most recovery utilities it is expected to be used by someone who knows what they are doing and who reads the restrictions on 'trial' versions before using it on production or "live" data. The vendor is not at fault for protecting their investment in having paid Microsoft for access to the M$ proprietary file format of PST files. After all, if the 'trial/demo' version recovered everything, ... ... who would buy the full version?

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
Webmaster Forum

goombawaho (MIS) · Answer 13 · 2015-04-28 14:45:11

Well, I don't want to argue over this tangential point of whether it's a shady product. I don't expect the trial version to do what the paid product does. I guess I just don't want the trial to do any damage or modify data. Of course, you already said to use it on backup, which is always the best advice when "messing" around with anything precious.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares."

guitarzan (Programmer) · Answer 14 · 2015-04-28 15:03:00

From the FAQ:

Quote (http://www.datanumen.com/outlook-repair/faq.htm)
How to determine whether DOLKR can repair my Outlook personal folder(.pst) file successfully, according to the results generated by the demo version?

Please just use the demo version to recover your Outlook PST file normally in "Repair" tab. After the recovery process, a new fixed PST file will be generated and you can use Outlook to open and browse the recovered messages and other items in it. Please note for the demo version, the actual contents in the messages and other items are replaced with a demo information.

According to these information, you can know whether DOLKR works on your corrupt PST file and order the full version to get the actual data in the recovered items.

So, either the FAQ is wrong, or the user messed up, overwriting or deleting the original PST. But the behavior described above does not seem shady (assuming it's accurate).

ChrisHirst (IS/IT--Management) · Answer 15 · 2015-04-28 15:23:13

You should have read a little further !!!

Please just use the demo version to recover your Outlook PST file normally in "Repair" tab. After the recovery process, a new fixed PST file will be generated and you can use Outlook to open and browse the recovered messages and other items in it. Please note for the demo version, the actual contents in the messages and other items are replaced with a demo information.

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
Webmaster Forum

goombawaho (MIS) · Answer 16 · 2015-04-28 16:18:56

I had not RTFM for this product!! So enlightening when you do.

But, it said "a NEW PST file will be generated". Does that mean it left the old one renamed as .BAK perhaps?

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares."

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Issues with DataNumen Outlook Repair