Recovering data after a reformat...

[Kyoto Oshiro]

I didn't know where else to turn. I reformatted C: after thinking I had backed up the important files to a CD. However, the CD keeps giving me errors and the files come off it empty. So, is there a way to get my data back? All the searches I do turn up expensive services. Any ideas??

[Waldo2k2]

try searching the board, this has been covered over and over again and there's been links posted to free tools....

btw, i do believe a few of us have free versions of the newer expensive tools, but we'll need some specs on your drive. Was it formatted to ntfs for example? or fat32? if it was ntfs then we can't help as the tools we have for free don't yet support ntfs.

[Kyoto Oshiro]

Well, I had done a brief search before but I will go more in depth now.
Anyways, currently I am trying a file recovery program from download.com, and it seems to be working okay. I used FAT32 to format the drive, and just did it this morning.
So, maybe now you could give me some links or ideas? I will post back later if things work out with this current file recovery program. Thanks!

[Waldo2k2]

YOU DIDN'T SAVE THAT FILE TO THE DRIVE DID YOU???

if you did you just overwrote stuff you were trying to recover, whatever you do DON'T DO ANYTHING TO THAT DRIVE. Save anything you recover to some other form of media, don't restore it to hat drive until you've got everything first.

Tell us how everything goes, if the program doesn't work I may have one that will help.

[FloatingPoint]

I've been using FinalData and I suppose a good recovery program won't let you save onto the partition/disk where files are being recovered from.

[Waldo2k2]

well it wasn't just that, i was making sure he didn't put the file recovery program on the lost drive, that would screw him up good

[Kyoto Oshiro]

Well, here is how it went.
I did in fact save the File Recovery program to the same drive I was trying to restore...um...oops. So, I will move it and try again.
I don't know if it still applies, but I did run the program (while on the same drive) and did a full scan of my "logical drive". Anyhow, it came back with plenty of files, all with normal extensions (.doc and .jpg, etc.) The main problem was that all the documents were garbled and combined. I would open one up and it would have half of one document followed by some messy other document.
So, hopefully that gives a clearer picture...rereading it tends to make me think I didn't explain it very well. Anyways, today I will put the file recovery program on a different drive and try again. I didn't screw anything up by doing it wrong the first time, did I *gulp*
Okay, thanks for all the help so far, I have confidence I can get it back with time and help...

[Waldo2k2]

yeah you did, if you put it there once the damage is done. You probably overwrote stuff in your root directory, it may also explain why files are half one and hhalf another...yeah you messed it up, good luck getting anything back worth using.

[chuky]

Hi Oshiro

Had you tried to read the CD in anohter drive? maybe yours is bad
(or had damaged drivers)

the fact that you are reading the files scrambled had nothing to do with instaling the unformat program in your hard disk, it only made *some Files* irecoverable, the problem is file fragmentation
and the *only* cure is to use a Disk Editor to repair the cluster chain, this is tedious and error prone, especialy with binary files, so unles you had something *Very important* is not worth it

sorry for it but that the way of life

Saludos from Mexico

[Waldo2k2]

who said anything about a cd?
logical drive means a partition dude.

[FloatingPoint]

Hmm...I guess chuky was merely referring and replying to the very first post at the top ;)

[Waldo2k2]

ah i c

[chuky]

:mad: Oshiro did

"I didn't know where else to turn. I reformatted C: after thinking I had backed up the important files to a CD. However, the CD keeps giving me errors and the files come off it empty. So, is there a way to get my data back? All the searches I do turn up expensive services. Any ideas??"

Thanks FloatingPoint ;)

(I'm *NOT* mad, Waldo2k2)

Chuky

[Waldo2k2]

did you ever verify that your backup on cd worked?
if it worked, then try using a cd cleaner (scratches??). Otherwise if it didn't work your TOC might be messed up, try using a raw cd reader.