Files renamed in a folder named FOUND.000

Since you didn't tell us what OS you were using, I can only assume that this is a Windows-based OS (XP?).

It appears that the OS crashed and chkdsk ran and found all the files and recovered them the way that it could.

Either the files are the original files renamed as such (found000.chk - foundxxx.chk), or multiple files can exist for one file, ex. found005.chk to found007.chk (since a large file may have been fragmented originally).

This will be a small problem, since you had different files/extensions on the drive, so, renaming the file may or may not work, and if the files were split into two or more, then you would have to concatenate the files together (more work).

You could manually rename every file (long, exhausting, etc.) with an extension - found001.jpg or .mpg, if you knew that was the type of file that existed.

Looking at the file size at least may help with determining if the file was a picture file vs. a music/movie file, since most picture files are USUALLY smaller in size.

But, we are only guaranteeing that the chkscan recovered each of those files cleanly.

Suggestions:

1).  As was asked by one responder, did you have backups of these files?  Best bet is to recover from your backup.

2). Here is something you can check into -

http://www.ericphelps.com/uncheck/
http://www.diydatarecovery.nl/~tkuurstra/chkmate.htm

3). Manual rename.  Long, tedious, time-consuming, and frustrating.

4). Try this command line batch method of renaming:
  a). Create a couple of new directories and call one of them Photos and the other Music, or whatever you want to identify them with.
  b). In the Foundxxx directory/folder, sort the files by size.
  c). If you remember if the picture files were no larger than 3 Kb (or whatever), copy those files to the Photos album, and copy the larger files to the Music folder.
  d). Open a DOS prompt (type CMD from START - RUN)
  e). Go to one of the the new directories:
    1). To change to the other drive, type the drive letter first with a colon, ex. D: and then press Enter.
    2). Type CD, a space, and then the path.  Ex. CD Photos, or CD Newfolder\Photos.
  f). Rename the files' extension:
    1). Type at the prompt REN, a space, then *.chk, then a space, then *.JPG (whatever the file format was).  Ex.  REN *.chk *.jpg
         What this does is rename all the files to the picture format so that you can try opening the file with whatever your default picture editor/viewer program is.
  g). Do this procedure the same in the other folder and rename the files to the movie extension.  REN *.chk *.mov

  Problem is whether or not all your movie files were all the same format/extension.

Good luck.

Thanks for all of that info, 1TT.  I am slowly making my way thru the files using ericphelps program and I have recovered quite a few photo files.  I plan on working my way through slowly, then trying different things to see if I can recover the music.  The photos are my main concern at this point, tho.

I can recover music from the original cd, for the most part, but that will take me months to do...I have well over 500 cds. 

Again, thank you for the links!

Cool - glad to know that it's helping.  If, as a last resort, I would then concur with SteveyD, above, with getting a pro to help if they are a must.

Next thing - look into a backup solution.  Without knowing your OS and assuming Windows XP, then consider purchasing a backup hard disk and use -
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/learnmore/bott_03july14.mspx

The "erichelps" solution?  Cool.  Glad I was able to assist and it's ending with positive results!

I would HIGHLY recommend getting a backup solution in place, A.S.A.P., first.