HELP! Files gone missing from external eSata drive

gee3000

gee3000

gee3000

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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):
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 :eek:

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.
 
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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.
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So you kept valuable, irreplaceable data in one location with zero backups because you never expected an OS to screw up now and again?

Assuming you get your data back using Ratbag's suggestion I would absolutely recommend you create regular backups of your important documents. Being on an external drive, which you regularly take to work, exposes you to having it dropped or otherwise damaged or even stolen. That is on top of all the other possible ways an HDD can fail.

Keeping your most precious data in one place is a very foolish thing to do with no backups at all. I hope you get it back. Though part of me hopes it is a very trying process as like many, you aren't likely to make that mistake again! :p
 
Thanks for your suggestions, I will try those programs this evening.

SiriusB said:
*snip
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You're kicking a fallen man, but I accept what you're saying :o 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! :D
 
He's right though, backups are important.

Personally, I have 2 sets of backups, on external e-sata drives, and a raid3 array
 
gee3000 said:
You're kicking a fallen man
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Aww I wasn't kicking as such. Poking your prone body with a pointy stick, perhaps? :p

It is such an important thing to do. As you say, you have [had? :p] well over a decade's worth of stuff there and as you can see it can go *poof* any time.

Anyone who buys a PC really ought to buy themselves an external HDD at the very least for backing up to. Cross-backing up between computers in your house is also a good idea, though if your house burns down you better hope one survives! :p
 
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!
 
Pho said:
I've had good luck with GetDataBack - you can scan the drive and see what files it finds without buying it.
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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.
 
On the subject of ESATA to stop this happening again I would be shutting down the PC everytime I connected it if it has imortant stuff on there.



M.
 
gee3000 said:
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! :D
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(not nocking you) but I love that attitude, my missus and her son use that reasoning all the time... its not happened up to now so it will never happen...
 
Glad you got it working. If you still have the drive TestDisk is also good but a little harder to use.


m4cc45 said:
On the subject of ESATA to stop this happening again I would be shutting down the PC everytime I connected it if it has imortant stuff on there..
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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.
 
Question for all you "getdataback" users.

I have downloaded the free "demo" and it doesnt seem to be showing me any of my deleted files (or at least nothing is showing up with a line through it)
I want to make 100% sure I have the correct program for me before splashing my cash. What exactly does buying the software allow you to do that the demo will not ?

Usually with data recovery demos they let you do everything the full software does, right up until the point where you click yes to recover the file and instead of recovering you get a popup telling you that you need to buy the software.
I was expecting similar with getdataback, it might just be me not having my head fully around the software yet, but any help on this matter would be appreciated.

Regards
James
 
If you've tried all the different recovery methods that it offers and still aren't getting any files then I doubt the full version will offer you anything more.

Definitely have a look at TestDisk (above, free!). You can get it on Live CDs or you should just be able to run it from Windows. It looks a little daunting to use but it's actually very easy. I used Photorec (from the same people) a few weeks ago to recover all 400 odd files off a camera memory card which went missing with hardly any effort.
 
Pho said:
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.
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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 :)

Camoe said:
by any chance was it friday the 13th?
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Nah it happened a couple weeks before this thread lol.
 
thats why you keep backup....thats a point I need a external HDD....but than again I don't have any documents( or many) and my phone has clones of all my pictures and music anyway on its mem card :p
 
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
 
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