recover a deleted partition?

[MCFC_ANDY]

so when reinstalling windows i deleted my ssd i keep all my stuff on by mistake, all my photos,videos of my kids/cars etc etc.
is it possible to just recover the whole partition or do i need to recover all files then format to reallocate. im not exactly pc smart, cant find any freeware that will recover large files either free or small charge

 

[something daft already!!]

You could try Recuva. I used it years ago and there's a free version. Can't say how well it will work, been a very long time since I used it.

 

[Earth[Tera].bin]

There's also testdisk, but as hinted above there's no guarantee you'll recover 100% of everything lost.

 

[d_brennen]

TestDisk is probably the best FOSS tool for the job

E: snap as above

If you only have one copy of any file, you may as well delete it ASAP to save the grief down the line

 

[Purgatory]

@MCFC_ANDY

I have recovered partitions and files with testdisk before and works well and free. Just make sure to read the links below and see how you get along.

TestDisk Download

Download TestDisk & PhotoRec. TestDisk is a free and open source data recovery software tool designed to recover lost partition and unerase deleted files. PhotoRec is a file carver data recovery software tool.

www.cgsecurity.org

TestDisk Step By Step

www.cgsecurity.org

https://www.cgsecurity.org/testdisk_doc/

For a paid version I recommend Disk Drill, also a free version but won't allow lots of files recovered for free, unless you pay but works well too and easier to use.

Disk Drill - Best Free Mac Data Recovery Software in 2026!

Disk Drill: The best data recovery software for macOS. Recover deleted or lost data from any storage device, iOS and Android. Free scanning.

www.cleverfiles.com

 

[MCFC_ANDY]

cheers all, fingers crossed

 

[MCFC_ANDY]

thank you all, i have managed to recover everything, cant thank you all enough.

 

[Purgatory]

thank you all, i have managed to recover everything, cant thank you all enough.

What did you end up using?

 

[MCFC_ANDY]

i tried the suggested, but in end the easiest i found was minitool, not sure how but it allowed me to recover everything without paying strangely, mate sent me a copy, the others suggested had limitations

 

[Mcnumpty2323]

as long as you don't overwrite it
or format it by means
that do a secure erase on it
the data is still there just it's position is
marked as ready to write new data on

have even recovered data after windows
was installed on it
though didn't recover 100% in that one

I would take it as a timely reminder
if something is irreplaceable
make multiple backups of it before
disaster strikes

 

[MCFC_ANDY]

I would take it as a timely reminder
if something is irreplaceable
make multiple backups of it before
disaster strikes

learnt my lesson

 

[Mcnumpty2323]

learnt my lesson

luckily it worked out ok for you
got 5 x M2 and 4 x sata ssds plus external drives
so I know how easy it is
to accidentally format the wrong drive
I am OTT about back ups
but got all the drives when prices were
rock bottom

so would rather have too many back ups
than not enough
plus the 2.5 ssds can be isolated from the system
as another fall back
just power them on now and then
to prevent bit rot

 

[Zefan]

I was very concerned to read this thread before you'd recovered it, and am very relieved and pleased for you that you successfully got it all back! Jolly good show.

 

[MCFC_ANDY]

i have quite a few drives internal and external, i was deleting partitions to reinstall windows, something ive done a million times, but didnt noticed it jumped to my back up drive, so didnt look and bang one deleted back up drive. doh. as u say easily done

 

[bledd]

Did this exact same thing before, Testdisk recovered the partition.

Since that I remove all other drives when installing Windows!