xp formatted a sata drive, any way to recover?

[sobriquet]

Hello.
On a vista computer which has a sata and an pata drive, I attempted to
install
windows xp on a separate 2nd partition on the pata drive (where vista
was also installed on the 1st partition). When windows asked where to
install xp, I specifically chose the right partition and subsequently
windows xp somehow jumped to the sata drive and formatted this. It was
my mistake because I didn't look carefully and assumed that because I
had previously carefully picked the right partition, it would format
the partition I had designated where windows xp should install.
So the bottom line is that xp formatted my 500 gb sata drive as a 128
gb drive.
Does anyone know of any way to recover the data from that drive that
was formatted accidentally?

Kind regards and thanks in advance for any suggestions, Niek

 

[Terry R.]

The date and time was 2/23/2008 12:45 PM, and on a whim, sobriquet
pounded out on the keyboard:

Hello.
On a vista computer which has a sata and an pata drive, I attempted to
install
windows xp on a separate 2nd partition on the pata drive (where vista
was also installed on the 1st partition). When windows asked where to
install xp, I specifically chose the right partition and subsequently
windows xp somehow jumped to the sata drive and formatted this. It was
my mistake because I didn't look carefully and assumed that because I
had previously carefully picked the right partition, it would format
the partition I had designated where windows xp should install.
So the bottom line is that xp formatted my 500 gb sata drive as a 128
gb drive.
Does anyone know of any way to recover the data from that drive that
was formatted accidentally?

Kind regards and thanks in advance for any suggestions, Niek

Hi Niek,

Here are just a few of many solutions found using Google:
http://www.tucows.com/article/1711
http://www.recovermyfiles.com/
http://www.bitmart.net/

--
Terry R.

***Reply Note***
Anti-spam measures are included in my email address.
Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Hello.
On a vista computer which has a sata and an pata drive, I attempted to
install
windows xp on a separate 2nd partition on the pata drive (where vista
was also installed on the 1st partition). When windows asked where to
install xp, I specifically chose the right partition and subsequently
windows xp somehow jumped to the sata drive and formatted this. It was
my mistake because I didn't look carefully and assumed that because I
had previously carefully picked the right partition, it would format
the partition I had designated where windows xp should install.
So the bottom line is that xp formatted my 500 gb sata drive as a 128
gb drive.
Does anyone know of any way to recover the data from that drive that
was formatted accidentally?

Kind regards and thanks in advance for any suggestions, Niek

Here are a few link to recovery tools:
http://www.restorer2000.com/r2k.htm
http://www.hddrecovery.com.au
http://bootmaster.filerecovery.biz
http://www.runtime.org/
http://www.softwarepatch.com/software/filerecoverysecdownload.html
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/restoration.html

Unfortunately your chances of recovering your data files are
remote, because you probably overwrote most of them with
the WinXP installation. Prevention is really the best cure here:
It is absolutely essential to back up important files to an
independent medium regularly, e.g. once every week. A 2.5"
disk in an external USB case is a low-cost but highly effective
backup device. Regrettably many people do not implement
such a backup scheme until they suffer a major disaster.

 

[sobriquet]

Here are a few link to recovery tools:http://www.restorer2000.com/r2k.htm...http://www.snapfiles.com/get/restoration.html

Unfortunately your chances of recovering your data files are
remote, because you probably overwrote most of them with
the WinXP installation.

No, I didn't actually install xp. In fact I couldn't even install it,
because xp got so confused by the sata drive it would just keep
rebooting my pc. As a bonus it also screwed up my vista install beyond
recovery and
I can now enjoy the pleasure of installing vista again. God, I really
love windows.

But anyway, I'm positive nothing has happened to the 500 gb sata drive
apart from the quick format.


Prevention is really the best cure here:

It is absolutely essential to back up important files to an
independent medium regularly, e.g. once every week. A 2.5"
disk in an external USB case is a low-cost but highly effective
backup device. Regrettably many people do not implement
such a backup scheme until they suffer a major disaster.

I know.. I make backups frequently.. but it's always an uncomfortable
feeling when you suddenly lose a few 100 gb of data and you're left to
wonder if you really had backups of everything.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

No, I didn't actually install xp. In fact I couldn't even install it,
because xp got so confused by the sata drive it would just keep
rebooting my pc. As a bonus it also screwed up my vista install beyond
recovery and
I can now enjoy the pleasure of installing vista again. God, I really
love windows.

But anyway, I'm positive nothing has happened to the 500 gb sata drive
apart from the quick format.


Prevention is really the best cure here:

I know.. I make backups frequently.. but it's always an uncomfortable
feeling when you suddenly lose a few 100 gb of data and you're left to
wonder if you really had backups of everything.

Either use a well-designed batch file for your backups, or else
a professional product such as Acronis. In this way you can be
sure that you don't miss anything.