Lost Excel files

This morning I found that a folder containing excel files had disappeared from my dock. I have searched my computer and they have gone. I remember accessing them yesterday morning. Factors to consider are a) I cleared my trash yesterday afternoon before activating a backup to an external harddrive (the files aren't on there either) b) we had a power cut last night and the computer rebooted, and c) when I open up the excel workbook gallery and look at 'Recent Workbooks - Yesterday' there is reference to some of these files with a directory 'users/peterford/.Trash/(folder name)/(workbook name). I'd appreciate any tips on how I might get these files back! Thanks

Folders on the dock are just pointers/shortcuts to a real folder. Having a folder or application disappear from the dock won't, in itself, delete the files. Somehow, before you last edited those files in Excel they were already in the trash. It appears as though you were editing files that were in the trash. That's the only way Excel could know that path.

I'd suggest you use your machine as little as possible and run something like Disk Drill to try and recover the files

Thanks for this. I understand what you're saying but I cannot see how I could have transferred this folder into the trash. It doesn't make sense. However, if that is the case I shall need to recover it with software. I appreciate your help.

Impossible to say now, but even if you'd have dragged the folder, mistakenly, from the dock to the trash all it would have done is removed it from the dock. The real folder would still be where it always was.

Thanks again for your help. This is a real mystery. Anyhow, I now have a scan in operation looking for the missing files. Fingers crossed. I appreciate your time.

Go into Finder and check out Documents.

Done that Harry. Nothing there. Any tips out there for the best recovery software?

Any tips out there for the best recovery software?

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Did you read member mrplow's reply above? He recommended Disk Drill and then there is also Data Rescue 3.

Thanks. I had noted that but was looking for others for a comparison. You've given me another. Here goes!