HELP! Files gone missing from external eSata drive

[gee3000]

I'm having a major computing crisis: I've lost pretty much the entire contents of my 'user' folder (pictures, documents, music, itunes library, downloads, etc.).

I'm using Windows 7, and I've been using this combination of hardware to store my windows User profile (only the folders, ie. Documents, and not the actual User folder):

• 640gb 2.5" 5400rpm SATA hard drive
• http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-033-BT

The 2.5" caddy is plugged into my home pc via a SATA port direct to the mobo from the docking station. I usually take the drive out and take it to work with me so I can access my iTunes library. I've had a few problems with this due to iTunes not saving the library straight away, so sometimes when I eject my drive the library hasn't been saved to disk and becomes corrupt. Very annoying, and I've had to re-import my library quite a few times. To avoid this I'd started doing a manual backup of my library every time before ejecting (basically zipping the files in question while iTunes isn't running).

The current problem however is unrelated to iTunes. On Friday I had my 2.5" drive plugged into my work PC (via eSata cable), but the drive wasn't in use. I also needed to perform a manual backup of my work system onto ANOTHER external 3.5" drive, so I plugged it in via USB cable. The transfer was about 150gb, so I thought I'd try eSata since the 3.5" enclosure also had eSata port. Since Windows doesn't have any 'eject' function for eSata drives, and it wasn't being used, I just pulled the plug out of my 2.5" drive, and plugged it straight into the 3.5" drive (which was empty bar 1 folder).

I rescanned for new devices (Device manager) and the new drive popped up, so I restarted transferring my work-pc backup onto the 3.5" external drive, now via eSata so much quicker. Sooner or later the transfer was complete, so I switched the drives back over and now had my 2.5" drive back in via eSata. I rescanned for new hardware, my drive popped up but oddly it still had the label of my 3.5" drive "CR External". It also showed it was only using 20-30gb out of 600gb, whereas I KNOW previously it only had 200gb FREE

I browsed into my 2.5" drive and for some reason all of my personal files had disappeared bar 2 folders - "My Videos", which contained 50-70 of unimportant clips *not prawn *, and "Backup" which contained about 500mb of my WORK-PC backup files that should have been transferred over to the OTHER 3.5" drive o_O

I think what has happened is stupid Windoze hasn't realised the drive swap even dispite manual device rescan, and has obviously delayed a portion of my WORK-PC backup transfer and stupidly placed those files onto my 2.5", and in the process deleted the files which should have been on my 2.5" >_<

Question now is - how can I retrieve these files?? I havn't performed any/many write actions on the 2.5" since - should I use a drive recovery software, and if so - where do I begin??

Any advice would be much appreciated, as I'm trying get back pretty much 10-12 years of valuable documents, files and music I know it was stupid to keep important stuff on an external but I didn't think an operating system could be this querky.

Thanks.

 

[gee3000]

Thanks for your suggestions, I will try those programs this evening.

*snip

You're kicking a fallen man, but I accept what you're saying After 10-12 years of not having lost any files (bar half of my MP3 collection accidently deleted a year ago -.-), I got pretty confident nothing would happen, especially with a 100 x advanced operating system and hardware. I did have a tingly sensation that something like this would happen though, maybe it's a sign that I need to wipe my hard drives, sell my parts and get out of my damn room!

 

[gee3000]

I've had no luck with the data recovery software so far, they all create a mess of the files. I'd rather live without the files than have to sort them all out -.-

I'm going to try a data recovery professional who claims he can recover whilst maintaining file structure!

 

[gee3000]

I've had good luck with GetDataBack - you can scan the drive and see what files it finds without buying it.

Just wanted to say thanks a lot for this recommendation, I salvaged about 70% of my files. Luckily got all of my important stuff and only lost random downloads.

One of the previous programs seemed to have written to the drive during recovery which I wish they hadn't done cos otherwise this program would have found all 100% of my lost data. One of the other programs scrambled the files into random directories - hate that.

Thanks again.

 

[gee3000]

Glad you got it working. If you still have the drive TestDisk is also good but a little harder to use.

I use hotswap! to hotswap my eSATA external drive. Windows doesn't give me an eject option either but this works fine. I can hear the drive clicking as it spins down so it's definitely doing something.

Thanks that looks really handy! I've recovered and moved all of my stuff to a regular 1tb f3, but this app may allow me to make my files portable again

by any chance was it friday the 13th?

Nah it happened a couple weeks before this thread lol.

 

[gee3000]

You're right I need to invest in an external hard drive for backups.. I usually only add hard drives when I need extra storage space, gigabytes bought purely for backup feel like a waste of money until something like this happens ;p