Data Recovery

[lxbsly]

Here is the situation, i have 2 hard drives.
1. Windows 7 installed (my main hard drive)
2. Just a hard drive with hundreds of films

I noticed Microsoft had released an official pre beta version of windows 8 so i decided to download it. I went to install but noticed no menu came up allowing you to select a partition to install it on. As i didnt want to lose my data on my Windows 7 Hard drive i canceled install and went on the internet for answers on dual booting it. I found that the way around this problem was to install it via a disk or usb. I found this tutorial to do it by usb.

http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-install-windows-7vista-from-usb-drive-detailed-100-working-guide/

(please read it)

I was stupid and followed that tutorial, it stats type disk 1 which is correct however because i have 2 hard drives, my first drive was disk0 0, second was disk 1 and then the usb was disk 2. So mistakenly i formatted my films hard drive. I clicked on pretty early and as quickly as possible attempted to cancel the format. It was 4% formatted and it wouldnt cancel so i turned off my PC.


If anyone could help me please retrieve my files any way possible you would make me a very very happy person. I am expecting the worst as getting the files from a format is essentially defeating the object of a format. But if there is any way possible please help me.

 

[deusexlumina]

Try Recuva, and use a deep scan. (google it and click on the filehippo site).

Im sure better solutions are probably out there, but i don't know if they are free/easy to find.

edit: it will only really work if you used a quick format. Also, dont use the drive while scanning and do not recover the files to the same HDD.

 

[lxbsly]

Thanks for the quick reply. I have actually tried recuva and it didn't work for me as i think it doesnt work for formatted drives. May i also note, if you look at that link you can tell if it was a quick format or a full one. And on top fo that, it only formatted 4% and then i cancelled it so is it possible i can retrieve 96% of my data?

 

[deusexlumina]

Yeah i noticed it, ive used diskpart for a bootable stick like that before but couldnt tell if it was a full format or not. A quick format only takes a few seconds, a full format around 30 mins (depending on drive size). So id guess a full format. Regardless a lot of it should still be there. I know ive already mentioned it but did you try a deep scan with recuva?

I think theres a program called recoverit which is good, and uses a much more meticulous search algorithm

 

[[email protected]]

I have used this in the past and got files back, but they had only been deleted, not formatted, but it does state it will work on a reformatted drive.

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec

Good Luck.

 

[lxbsly]

I will be sure to try recuva it again and try your other suggestion. Thankyou.

Anyone else, if you have any more ideas please say them.

 

[Philtor]

TestDisk is what I would use. Fab bit of software for Data recovery!

 

[Fluke?]

I've had some luck with GetDataBack in the past with pics on a formatted drive.
Good luck!

 

[bledd]

Try TestDisk first, failing that, GetDataBackforNTFS

 

[joey1211]

Have used the free version of ZAR (zero assumption recovery) to pull photos from a card when everything else failed. They have a demo of the full version on their site

 

[joey1211]

Am I right in believing that none of the software mentioned here will pull data back and keep the original file names?

 

[bledd]

Testdisk, (if it works), will simply recover the whole partition table and all files will be 100% in tact. It doesn't take long at all to run either

 

[lxbsly]

Thanks for all trying to help, i tried nearly all of the software but none was working so i gave up. Thankyou again though