Computer Gurus... PLEASE HELP!

[Wildman]

Here is the problem:

I added 1 gig of memory and reloaded windows XP home edition on Stacie's computer last night.

With the cover off, I noticed there were two hard drives.

On windows install, there were two drives "D" and "C".

I partitioned both and started to format "C" when I noticed that "D" was not even plugged in.

Well, "D" was the EXTERNAL drive that we bought and had painfully backed up all filed to over the past two days! I didn't check to make sure the USB was unplugged before I started the re-install.

"D" is not formatted, only partitioned in the install process.

Is there a way to recover, or unpartition, "D" simply?

[Shadow]

once you have messed with the partitions it's nearly impossible for a typical user to get anything back. You can try some software called Active Partition which works rather well. http://www.partition-recovery.com/

[Wildman]

By trying to recover this on my own, will it screw up a professional from being able to recover it?

I have always heard that the "professionals" simply use programs such as this to get data back any way.

[Tommyh]

professionals will take it apart and remove the platters from the drive to get the data off. they do it all in a clean room and extract it bit by bit and costs quite a bit of money to do. we send our HDDs to a place in San Diego, and the avg extraction is around 2500$. with partition tables messed with, the chance of recovery is even less because of the way the HDD maps out the sectors on the table. that data is still there unless you low level formatted it, however. they just have to know what and where to look.

[Tx-Burt]

Try to get a copy of Get Data Back, it will get the data from the clusters on the HD. You can recover the data from any drive. I have used it on 95' and W2000, I beleive it will work on XP also. I have a shareware copy for W2000 if you need it.

[Wildman]

I am running a program now called Diskinternals and it shows to have recovered 11883 files so far. Fingers crossed.....

[Tommyh]

good luck!

we have a problem with people not putting files on the file servers we give them on the network, then people whine and complain when an HDD crashes. It's a totally different story when you wipe your "backup drive"

[Wildman]

Well, I never liked back up drives anyway

[doncom]

Danny, I told you that you should just stick to the crayons and Big Chief tablet.

[Wildman]

Recovery in the process. Seems it found the file folders and files in each back up folder. Problem is that it is writing the files and has an estimated 22 hours until completion........

Wonder if I can explain why the external drive is not in the office that long

Don, I am thinking at this point that water colors are more in order

[Wildman]

OH MY MY MY!!!!

Just finished one recovery folder and THE FILES ARE THERE!!!!

Seems now that it is only going to be a matter of time to wait for the files to re-write and maybe I skated the skillet