Need To Recover My Data!!

[RobCharles1981]

I recently invested in a SSD Drive as my main boot Drive and I had a 1tb for storage for Games and Apps.

I stuck on Windows 7 and I formated the storage drive in there. I went into my Computer and formated one of my main data storage!! And I need your help!

I've tried using Test Disk spent 8 Hours over night today to recover the partition I get this error message:

"Can't Open File System File System Seems Damaged"

Please help!

 

[Grizzly]

If you've formatted your main data storage then thats it I'm afraid, the other route for recovery is mighty expensive and there aren't any guarantees as to whether they'll even get it back for you.

 

[RobCharles1981]

I had success in the past with Test Disk as I said looking around on the web most soloutions say to do a chkdsk on the drive and use a file recover utility.

 

[Grizzly]

I had success in the past with Test Disk as I said looking around on the web most soloutions say to do a chkdsk on the drive and use a file recover utility.

Sounds hopeful, if it's coming back saying file system damaged I'm guessing you cancelled the format halfway through?

I don't think there is any guaranteed to work software that would recover your data from that.

The software you're trying was probably made to handle a complete file system format of the disk not a partial and therefore damaged file system.

 

[RobCharles1981]

Sounds hopeful, if it's coming back saying file system damaged I'm guessing you cancelled the format halfway through?

I don't think there is any guaranteed to work software that would recover your data from that.

The software you're trying was probably made to handle a complete file system format of the disk not a partial and therefore damaged file system.

I didn't cancel the format it was done there and then, currently running chkdsk on the drive as I speak.

 

[Grizzly]

I didn't cancel the format it was done there and then, currently running chkdsk on the drive as I speak.

Just looked at Test Disk, looking at it it isn't able to recover data from a formatted space, it's only meant to recover partitions you've accidentally deleted, that could be why you're having trouble with it. When you used it in the past, it probably wasn't quite the same problem as this is.

 

[kryten_1st]

Have a look at a prog called recover my files I have found it excellent at recovering files from a formatted hard disk and from deleted partitions. Another is Recuva which I think is free.

 

[dugdiamond]

i could get your data for anyone - easily

i have a 'copy' of the data forensics software kit that the FBI/CIA use. but i could do it without even using that.

unless a drive is "peppered" with random chunks of 101010101001001001010101001011's, retrieving data is a doddle.

formatting a HDD does not wipe the drive clean. it just creates a MBR (main boot record) randomly somewhere on one of the sectors, marks that bit RASH, and then allocates the FAT.

the data is there until re-written over by a new installation.

 

[dugdiamond]

BTW: i have written a peppering program if anyone wants a copy

 

[RobCharles1981]

Hi Guys just an update I manged to recover my data from the drive using Recuva an excellent bit of kit fair play to them bring it on!

 

[Bungral]

Isn't that only if you do a quick format? Isn't a full format a little more thorough?

I know neither is great so if I need rid of data, I use some ridiculous algorhythms I found on a bootdisk somewhere.

i could get your data for anyone - easily

i have a 'copy' of the data forensics software kit that the FBI/CIA use. but i could do it without even using that.

unless a drive is "peppered" with random chunks of 101010101001001001010101001011's, retrieving data is a doddle.

formatting a HDD does not wipe the drive clean. it just creates a MBR (main boot record) randomly somewhere on one of the sectors, marks that bit RASH, and then allocates the FAT.

the data is there until re-written over by a new installation.

 

[dugdiamond]

a quick format only erases partial info written in the FAT (File Allocation Table).

The FAT is like an index found in back of books. but, here, other info is also stored (timestamps, RASH, bad blocks, MBR, etc).

a full format does the quick format, but also does a CHKDSK (check for bad blocks)

_____________________________________________________________

the only way to fully 'erase' a disk would be to 'hard-write' or 'flash' (using low level programming in BIOS) 1000's of random data chunks (pictures, images, etc) onto the disk until the disk was completely full. (this is what manufacturers to do all disks, to test integrity).

once the disk was been fully written to, FDISK (or similar) would be used to delete the location of the start of the primary partition. a new one would then be created.

the next step would be repeated, atleast three times...

• remove logicals
  
• the disk is spun
  
• new logical partition is created
  
• new FAT is created
  

this ensures that new writes occur in different logical addresses.

after this process is complete, a new FULL format is needed to ONLY find bad sectors.

i hope this sheds some light on the difference between quick and full formatting on media storages.

 

[RobCharles1981]

Cheers for the input!

 

[RobCharles1981]

Cheers for the input!

On the data I have got back, I have some DVD files which are unorganized how do I know what files belong to which and is there any software too help me with this? I wish file recovery software would make life easier for us.