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Aka · 07-13-2005, 08:34 AM

First off... Thank you Windows XP Setup for ignoring me. </sarcasm>

Anyway, I was installing XP last night, had two drives in the machine, empty and backup. Selected the empty drive to install XP onto, and it goes and formats my backup. Sounds like a windows thing to do.

Anyway, since it was a quick format, I know the files are still there, I just don't know how to recover them. It's a 200 gig drive, so I figure it'll take a f**k load of time to recover, and I doubt it'll remember any of my directory structure (ugh :( all my music, so nicely organized).

Mason · 07-13-2005, 08:48 AM

First of all window's install's where you tell it to install... Its a basic tell and copy... You told it the wrong drive.

Second No... Most likly the data it gone unless you know how to rebuild file structure or you have a program that will.

My best advise... Do a full level format of both drive's and start the whole machine over. It will run better then if you just leave the damaged data on the drive.

Aka · (This post was last modified: 07-13-2005, 08:51 AM by Aka.)

NO, after a quick format, I KNOW the files are still there. Even after a low-level they're still recoverable, though beyond my knowlege.

I know of many programs that cost money that can solve my problem, but I'm looking for a free solution.

Edit: They're not damaged either, just "lost". Also, it is a fresh install, it was a backup drive with my music and program stuff like, my email.

crazikev · 07-13-2005, 08:53 AM

next, dissconect he backup drive, btw , windows sucks, (i hope my comuter didn;t hear that)

Mason · 07-13-2005, 08:54 AM

I never said the data was not there, I said it was useless to you if you cannot rebuild it.
If the data is not part of the file allocation chart on your hard drive then the proper term is damaged.
Weather its lost or fragmented its still damaged.
Like I said you either have to know how to rebuild the data or get a program to do it.

What company make's your computer. Dell, HP, compaq? If you still have a warranty they should be able to help you recover your data.

Aka · 07-13-2005, 08:55 AM

I make my computer.

Aka · 07-13-2005, 08:57 AM

crazikev,Jul 12 2005, 06:53 PM Wrote:next, dissconect he backup drive, btw , windows sucks,  (i hope my comuter didn;t hear that)
[right][snapback]121558[/snapback][/right]

It was just a backup drive for when I was swapping files around. The stuff on it was going to go onto the drive in the machine, then it was going to be formatted to a linux file system and thrown back in my server.

Mason · 07-13-2005, 08:58 AM

Cool.
The nice part about that is you can add something like that to a resume. The bad part is, is on your resume data recovery isnt on there. ;)

You may have to pay some one or pay for a program to do it. If your going to then the sooner the better.

Aka · 07-13-2005, 09:02 AM

Sooner? time doesn't really matter. The drive isn't in use until I find software to recover it. So it's not going anywhere. And it's full, so I couldn't even add anything to it if I wanted to... well I suppose now that it thinks it's formatted I could, but nothings been written to it.

hmm fdisk can't do NTFS can it? don't think so...

hmm oh! TestDisk I think...
http://www.cgsecurity.org/index.html?testdisk.html

Mason · (This post was last modified: 07-13-2005, 09:05 AM by Mason.)

Window's CD will format into NTSF but you have to wipe the partition on the drive your doing it on.

That program may work... But you wanna be carfull... If those program's screw up on something then its gone.

Aka · 07-13-2005, 09:04 AM

http://www.download.com/GetDataBack-Data-R...4-10202138.html

this looks good too, but it costs money...

And then there's this http://foremost.sourceforge.net/

Aka · 07-13-2005, 09:13 AM

Mason,Jul 12 2005, 07:04 PM Wrote:That program may work... But you wanna be carfull... If those program's screw up on something then its gone.
[right][snapback]121568[/snapback][/right]

Well according to you it's gone already, so what difference would it make :P

NefCanuck · 07-13-2005, 09:14 AM

Aka,Jul 12 2005, 06:34 PM Wrote:First off... Thank you Windows XP Setup for ignoring me. </sarcasm>

Anyway, I was installing XP last night, had two drives in the machine, empty and backup. Selected the empty drive to install XP onto, and it goes and formats my backup. Sounds like a windows thing to do.

Anyway, since it was a quick format, I know the files are still there, I just don't know how to recover them. It's a 200 gig drive, so I figure it'll take a f**k load of time to recover, and I doubt it'll remember any of my directory structure (ugh :( all my music, so nicely organized).
[right][snapback]121548[/snapback][/right]

Okay, I'm assuming buying something like Norton Systemworks is out of the question for you? Only other thing I know of that might do what you want is the Windows Recovery Console. Does your computer BIOS support booting from CD/DVD drives? If it does then you should be able to access that and I think from there you can perhaps undo the damage, assuming no writing was done to the drive after the accident...

NefCanuck

Mason · 07-13-2005, 09:15 AM

Ya Man its damaged data.
Thats why its called data recovery.

But like I said man. Feel free to either learn how to data recover on your own or get a program that cost's $$. If neither are an option pay your local computer store.
If not format. Those are your options.

Aka · 07-13-2005, 09:17 AM

Actually I didn't even let it finish the quick format. I realized it was the wrong drive and freaked out and turned the machine off, and unplugged the drive. The format made it to about 25%. So no writing was done afterwards. And even if there was, I could still recover quite a lot of the stuff, as long as what I wrote didn't happen to fill the drive, or write one part ontop of each previous file.

I think WRC is just for rebuilding a broken windows install, so it wouldn't be too helpful.

Mason · 07-13-2005, 09:21 AM

The recover what yea can :)

Aka · 07-13-2005, 09:30 AM

What about a Linux Solution? I know it can read NTFS (and unreliably write to). It doesn't have to repair the drive, just read it, and copy the contents to the other drive, like i was going to do originally. If there is such a solution, could it be found on one of the Knoppix live distro CDs? because I believe I do have the latest, which I mess with from time to time, and have used to rebuild MBRs.

NefCanuck · 07-13-2005, 09:31 AM

Aka,Jul 12 2005, 07:17 PM Wrote:Actually I didn't even let it finish the quick format. I realized it was the wrong drive and freaked out and turned the machine off, and unplugged the drive. The format made it to about 25%. So no writing was done afterwards. And even if there was, I could still recover quite a lot of the stuff, as long as what I wrote didn't happen to fill the drive, or write one part ontop of each previous file.

I think WRC is just for rebuilding a broken windows install, so it wouldn't be too helpful.
[right][snapback]121578[/snapback][/right]

Ouch, turning things off partway through might have been worse than letting things get properly munched. Yer now trying to fix a drive that's had its Master Boot Record whacked, partial formatting... I'd suggest getting software or taking it into a shop. At this point not gonna be an easy fix.

NefCanuck

Aka · 07-13-2005, 09:33 AM

Not really, because if that is a problem, then all I need to do is do another quick format to finish it off. The data will still be untouched in either case.

Phantom · 07-13-2005, 09:48 AM

if u know how to run linux u could make a boot disc and go set back up the windows structures.

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