Lost Copies of I-129F Packet on Crashed Computer

[tony1343 0]

Hi,

Alright, so as usual, I'm a disorganized mess when it comes to the K1 application process. I sent in my I-129F packet a while back. Instructions were to make a few copies. Well instead I decided to scan the entire packet into my computer. I typically then backup important files onto a USB flash drive. I also use Mozy, which backs up my computer (pretty good if you've never heard of it). Anyway, looks like I didn't put the packet on a USB flash drive. My hard drive crashed and is now broken. To top that off, with my Mozy account I only have 2 GB of storage and looks like I ran out of space. As far as I can tell, I have just about everything backed-up but the I-129F packet copy. I hadn't yet sent this to my fiancee either.

Suggestions on what I should do? I could send my hard drive off to a storage recovery company and attempt get the visa copy. This would cost $400 - $700 most likely. Or I could just attempt to recreate the I-129F packet and send that information to my fiancee. I still have the photographs (from Mozy, Photobucket.com, and in my gmail account). I still have my passport with visa stamps, a boarding pass to China, and other evidence.

What I don't have anymore are some of the forms filled out. However, I could possibly just refill these out (I don't have a copy of the I-129F form or my G-325a biographical sheet; I still do have copies of my fiancee's biographical sheet, along with copies of visa photographs). Emails from May 07 - May 08 might have been lost (but I think these are backed up through Mozy, which I'm currently restoring). Most of our correspondence has been through phone anyway, with some instant messaging (while talking on the phone). I also lost my original letter of intent to marry her (but still have her original letter).

What do you think, try to recover the hard drive? It's awfully expensive, but if I need any of the information I lost, money is the least of my worries. I can recreate just about all this information (and enough to satisfy the requirements if I were to send in the packet today), but I don't know if that's good enough (since it would be dated and signed when I originally filled it all out).

Thanks for your input. Also, feel free to call me an idiot. I agree, and my fiancee has already told me so.

For some good news: received my NOA1 and the check was cashed. Lots of waiting now and getting more proof together. Hopefully, I'll be visiting her again before the interview, which should help with more evidence, more photographs, etc.

[Otto 83]

I would definitely NOT send my HD off for recovery (unless you have other data you need) just for the reason you stated. You have all the 'good' stuff (pictures, boarding passes, passports etc.) - you could always simply recreate the forms. It is all for your foreign fiancé to review anyway.

[Anh map 2,098]

ouch! sorry to hear about this.

I agree, just reproduce the forms.

[Hell0W0rld 10]

is the hard drive physically broken? does it make clicking sounds? if the drive is not physically broken then you can just use data recovery software to recover your data, it's pretty simple and you don't need to use $400 and send your hard drive off to a company...

[tony1343 0]

is the hard drive physically broken? does it make clicking sounds? if the drive is not physically broken then you can just use data recovery software to recover your data, it's pretty simple and you don't need to use $400 and send your hard drive off to a company...

Thanks everyone.

Yeah, the hard drive appears to be physically broken. Laptop wouldn't recognize it (not even when I tried to boot using Seagate's tools). Then I slapped it into an external enclosure and still no luck. Then I noticed that it started making a high pitched whining noise periodically and there is some clicking (but not very loud).