..you are correct.. Apparently sometimes on some computers when email gets compressed the files get lost or corrupted. Microsoft came out with an update - It just saves a back up copy of the original file(s) to the recycle bin,,, just in case things go Kaflooie when those files are compressed.

Does FTM still start up on your computer? You can go to the recycle bin, right click and restore anything and everything under normal circumstances. However in your case you have tried a Restore and I have no idea how that might affect the recycle bin. Does Family Tree Maker use the file suffix of .ftm? Why not try a search. click Start, click All programs - with Vista I think you now click on Accessories, then click Search. Type in *.ftm and see what that brings up. The *star indicates a wild card, in other words we are searching for anything and everything with the .ftm suffix if there are any such files. Failing that right click on Start, click Explore. Now look on the left side and click the plus sign beside C: - if it is already clicked it will show a - minus sign. Look down the list underneath for Program files and click the plus sign beside that. Now look further down the same list for your Family Tree folder and click the plus sign beside it. Once that is done start looking on the right side of your screen for anything indicating your data. How many generations do you have recorded so far? Nothing to do with the issue but more of an interested inquiry LOL.

It's usually on the bottom left in Explorer. Open Windows Explorer and see if it's there. If you can't find Explorer, go the Start button, and in the Search box type Explorer and hit Enter. "Recycle" is a location or folder, not a program btw. There is a setting as to whether the Recycle Bin icon is shown on the Desktop or not. If you type in "Recycle" in the Search box, that setting should come up.

A week after starting this thread I am seeing more damage than I first thought. Agave blue glow is showing some spots on its leaves while the equally beautiful blue green leaves of Yucca pallida are pristine. Tropical guayacan leaves are yellowing, the native variety is not. This big swooping trunk of Arroya sweetwood tree in the front yard is dead ... The upright trunks to the left are okay, Shoe string acacia is dead. While the sun loving drought tolerant Floratam St. Augustine is showing a few green sprigs it remains to be seen whether it will recover quickly and fully. The neighbor's old fashioned St. Augustine protected by oak trees is still green and thick. Satsuma has dropped a few leaves, but will be fine. Ditto Dwarf Barbados cherry shrubs which are usually evergreen. Bob is already removing the dead-to-the-ground Almond verbena trees. I hope they come back. On the upside when scratched the bottom half of the Brazilian orchid tree is still green. The weather is warm and spring like, but dang -- the real spring is still a couple of months away. February is usually our coldest month so there will probably be more freezes. Oh well, the yard is requiring lots of work this year, but life goes on ... :-)