Recovery question: Excel

[Joe C]

I had someone bring me in a laptop in order to recover any and all excel files for their business, Apparently, a disgruntled employee that had the laptop deleted the data before returning this laptop.
I have several recovery software programs and I was able to recover a multitude of docs and excel files but all the excel files that pertain to the business finances are blank.
It looks like the data was removed from the file and then it was deleted, because I can recover the deleted files but as I stated, they are blank with no data on the files.

Does anybody know how I can recover the data that was on excel files before they were changed ?
Thanks

 

[Hefemeister]

You can see what is in the auto save.

drive:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel

Hidden folder.

Then, tell you customer how important network file servers and backups are and charge them to set it up.

 

[Joe C]

Nothing there either.
I do not have a good time frame from the time the data was removed and when I received the laptop. It was for a local township in my area and the treasurer took this laptop home, Already suggested backing up to a server and they told me they already had one but the treasurer did not back up. They do have the data on hard copy but they wanted to make it easier for the new treasurer so all the data would not have to be re-entered

 

[Hefemeister]

Another hope is they emailed the files to someone who may have an older copy or have copies in their sent email file.

Threaten legal action and require the person to remake the files.

 

[Joe C]

I told the guy I'd be furious if it happened to me but I guess that's why I'm not in public office...lol
I did recommend that he should look into charges of destruction of public property, but I didn't get the impression anything was going to become of it.

Is there any other way to get data from a file that's been changed? The files that I did recover were only gas mileage forms, time sheets and things like that. The financial files are blank