I think you are correct about your chances if you don't have an mdw file. If you're in a corporate environment and cannot find the right mdw file for your db, surely they were in the habit of creating network backups? Or it is there in some folder, but you just don't have the necessary permissions to see it, thus won't find it. An IT guy might turn out to be your best friend after all.
The more we hear silence, the more we begin to think about our value in this universe.
Paraphrase of Professor Brian Cox.