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Recover from .p2p files back to original format RRS feed

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    I installed MicroSoft's "Mesh" and "Live Sync" programs to backup folders/files in the MS Cloud.  What it did then was convert all of the files on my desktop in the linked folder to .p2p files, which means that I am now forced to use MS sync programs to open each of the individual files and re-save them to another folder but in their original format.    I really want to do is converting all the .P2P files in my desktop folders back to their original version.  And I can't figure out how to do such a batch conversion.  (I'm running Win7 64-bit) Suggestions?
    Wednesday, February 23, 2011 8:10 PM

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    I'm not sure what program you used, but I think you used Live Sync - the precursor to Windows Live Mesh and not Live Mesh beta (the subject of this forum)

    Live Mesh used the extension .wlx for placeholders. Live Sync used .p2p for the placeholder.

    The bottom line is that these are shadow files - they are placeholders. They are incomplete synchronization from another PC (there is no cloud in Live Sync).  If you did, in fact, install both Live Mesh beta and Live Sync and point both to the same folder, all bets are off as multiple programs trying to sync the same data can have some very unexpected results. If you used Live Sync, and the files already existed on the PC before you saw the .p2p files, the originals are in the Recycle Bin. If they did not exist on the PC before the .p2p files appeared, the originals are on the source PC unless you deleted them or unless you had the same folder being synchronized by both programs -- in which case the originals are probably gone.

    The .p2p extension means that a file is waiting to be transferred to that PC. It isn't usable until the transfer completes and it is renamed, removing the .p2p extension.

    If you are, however, referring to Windows Live Mesh -  for discussion of the new Windows Live Mesh (formerly Sync), (as well as the released Live Sync version) go here:

    http://windowslivehelp.com/forums.aspx?productid=24

     

    -steve

    ~ Microsoft MVP Windows Live ~ Windows Live OneCare| Live Mesh|MS Security Essentials Forums Moderator ~
    Thursday, February 24, 2011 2:48 PM
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    I'm not sure what program you used, but I think you used Live Sync - the precursor to Windows Live Mesh and not Live Mesh beta (the subject of this forum)

    Live Mesh used the extension .wlx for placeholders. Live Sync used .p2p for the placeholder.

    The bottom line is that these are shadow files - they are placeholders. They are incomplete synchronization from another PC (there is no cloud in Live Sync).  If you did, in fact, install both Live Mesh beta and Live Sync and point both to the same folder, all bets are off as multiple programs trying to sync the same data can have some very unexpected results. If you used Live Sync, and the files already existed on the PC before you saw the .p2p files, the originals are in the Recycle Bin. If they did not exist on the PC before the .p2p files appeared, the originals are on the source PC unless you deleted them or unless you had the same folder being synchronized by both programs -- in which case the originals are probably gone.

    The .p2p extension means that a file is waiting to be transferred to that PC. It isn't usable until the transfer completes and it is renamed, removing the .p2p extension.

    If you are, however, referring to Windows Live Mesh -  for discussion of the new Windows Live Mesh (formerly Sync), (as well as the released Live Sync version) go here:

    http://windowslivehelp.com/forums.aspx?productid=24

     

    -steve

    ~ Microsoft MVP Windows Live ~ Windows Live OneCare| Live Mesh|MS Security Essentials Forums Moderator ~
    Thursday, February 24, 2011 2:48 PM
    Moderator
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    Steve:

    Thank you for taking the time to reply with a full response.  Yes, I did use Live Sync, probably because I couldn't figure out the difference between Live Sync and Live Mesh and Sky Drive.  It seems, then, that Microsoft has violated the First Law of Survival in the Digital Age: "Don't screw with a user's original files in an unrecoverable manner."  Furthermore, the marketing for these products in incomprehensible: Why, for example, change from Live Sync to Live Mesh?  And what the heck is Windows Live?  Is that Mesh?  Sync?  Is there, in fact, a difference in the objectives of these products?  Thanks for the suggested URL; I'll see if any solution can be found over there.

    -Tom Johnson

    J. T. Johnson
    Thursday, February 24, 2011 6:24 PM
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    Hi, Tom.

    The forum link that I provided in my last response is where you want to be - for Live Sync and Windows Live Mesh, the successor to Live Sync.

    Windows Live is a family of services and products that Microsoft offers  - http://get.live.com -- basically a branding for add-ons to Windows.

    Windows Live SkyDrive is a cloud storage service, accessible via your web browser from any computer with free storage space.

    Live Sync (Windows Live Sync) is a re-write of FolderShare and only synchronizes via peer to peer.

    Live Mesh beta (this forum) was developed from the ground up and provided peer to peer sync and also a Live Desktop for cloud storage and remote access to PCs in your "Mesh" if enabled and allowed on the PCs in your "Mesh." Live Mesh beta was never released and is being shut down.

    Windows Live Mesh is the update to Windows Live Sync that merges Live Mesh beta and Windows Live Sync into a new program with a new service behind it. It provides cloud storage on Windows Live SkyDrive, that is apart from the other SkyDrive storage for your LiveID. It allows you to sync from the PC to the cloud as well as to other PCs.

    The Windows Live Sync product/service and the Live Mesh beta product/service will both cease to work at the end of March 2011.

    As to why you have .P2P files on the PC, I can't say. As I said in my previous reply, these file extensions indicate that the file *has not* completed synchronizing. Once the file is finished, the extension is changed. It is possible that the file has synchronized, but something prevented the change of the file extension. You can try removing the .p2p extension to see if the file is complete and usable. The existence of these files in the folder that was synchronized suggests to me that the file did not exist on the PC where you are viewing them as Live Sync would not delete the original before delivering the update. The original would be in the Recycle Bin *after* the updated file was transferred.

    Without knowing what you did, I can only speculate on what happened. Odd behavior can result if multiple synchronization products are used. Another scenario that would result in what you are describing is as follows:

    2 computers. Folder added to Live Sync for both computers. Files on PC 1 and PC 2 in these folder are not the same. Live Sync creates the .p2p files on both PCs and begins transferring data. The network connection is lost or you close Live Sync/log out before actual data transfer begins/completes. This would not cause any deletions, however, and the original files should remain on both PCs.

    -steve

    ~ Microsoft MVP Windows Live ~ Windows Live OneCare| Live Mesh|MS Security Essentials Forums Moderator ~
    Thursday, February 24, 2011 8:31 PM
    Moderator