Need help to retrieve all my files

[unphased]

Hi. New to this forum after a recommendation.

 

After many years of trouble free PC user it has finally happened. I have lost all my data on my main PC. It happened as a result of a (clumsy :o) attempt to speed up my PC after months of nursing it through very slow boot-ups. I tried to do a Windows repair using the Windows install disk. The problems started when it refused to complete the set-up process. Kept crashing out after several retries and in the end I had no choice but to go for the reinstall. I had not backed up my data though and as a result the drive was formatted and , well, you know the rest. Please can somebody help me?

 

Thanks

[Guest Wolfeymole]

Now you have formatted the drive it's going to be seriously expensive to get any data back and there's no guarantee that they could.

 

You could buy this of course.

 

Data Recovery Software to Undelete Files; Disk recovery; Recover Deleted Files

[unphased]

Hi Wolfey

 

Thank you for the quick response. I have never been through the process of recovering data before so could do with some pointers. I have at my disposal another PC (which obviously is now in use to talk to you) but the problem PC is currently without internet access and the OS is at service pack 2 very early version. I tried to load my wi-fi adapter on it yetserday but it wouldn't take. No idea why, just couldn't get it to work. It would find the newtwork no problem (its an MSI adapter) then it wouldn't activate it. Gave up as I was not in best frame of mind at the time. I've gone through emotional hell over this.

[RandyL]

Hi unphased;

 

Help you with what?

 

Are you trying to get your data back from a drive that went through a failed reinstall?

 

Did you manage to reinstall?

 

What did you do to try to speed it up?

 

Why did you try to speed it up?

 

Do you have good antivirus protection?

 

What is the make, model and number of your PC?

 

Did you get errors on the repair or reinstall?

 

To be honest two things jump out.

 

1. The PC has been booting slower and slower.

2. A reinstall failed if I'm not mistaken.

 

It certainly sounds like the hard drive has failed. If so data retrieval is highly unlikely without a proper specialist and a great deal of money.

[unphased]

Hi RandyL

 

First some info about the PC. It is 3-4 years old. It had a new HDD about 3 years ago and it has been used daily during this period. There is also a second HDD which was used as a back-up (more of that in a momemnt). The components are Abit NF8-V mobo approx 2 years old which replaced original failed mobo, AGP card slot with Geforce 6200 fitted, brand new memory, fitted the day I had the mishap 2GB DDR 184 PIN matched pair, CPU is Athlon 64 3000+ (single core) 2.0GHz, CPU is stock supplied with case 400W, optical drives x2 one DVD read only one CD RW, x1 floppy, MSI wi-fi adapter PC60G-F.

 

Anti Virus is licensed version of AVG version 8.5 bang up-to-date.

 

The reason I am in this predicament is the PC was booting slower and getting slower and has been for several months. My MS Money prog would hang for ages before doing something and I figured that I just needed to do something to speed it up. So I did all the usual stuff, disk defrags, CCleaner, removing programs I no longer used or didn't need and eventaully had the PC at a point where I figured I would try a windows repair. So I tried that and all seemed to be going well until it got a fair way through the set-up and just black screened with loads of text I had no time to read and restarted the set-up process again. It kept dooing this, the point at which it crashed out seemed to be different each time. So I did the unthinkable and went for a total reinstall...and the result is PC with nothing more than OS and no files.

 

My main hope is to get my data back if I can.

 

Do you think the HDD is the culprit then? I wish I had known before I even tried all this at least I could have backed up my stuff.

 

So your assumptions 1 and 2 are spot on!

 

Edit: Apologies meant to say about the back-up drive. I used the second drive to periodically save some of my files but I installed Norton Ghost 10.0 and didn't like it at all. I think there is quite an old back up on the drive about 12 months old but I have no clue how I would go about investigating how much is on the drive. I thought about swapping this in to my spare PC. But don't know next move as I have never recovered back-up using Ghost anyway.

Edited May 17, 2009 by unphased

[Tootech]

If you do want data retrieved from this drive don't at this stage attempt any recovery.

 

We need to understand the health of the drive. If it is healthy a recovery program could well get back a large percentage of what you need without too much trouble.

 

If the drive is on its way out, it needs imaging over to another drive, all work can then be carried out on the image.

 

What is make and model number of the drive?

[unphased]

Okay. I'll get the case open and see what the drive is.

[unphased]

Its a Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 120Gb ATA/133. Date of manufacture 03Oct2004. Its now out of the case and on my desk. Edited May 17, 2009 by unphased

[unphased]

The other drive is same make and model but only 80Gb. The DOM on that is even older (10Jun2003). I think I know where this is heading. :(

[unphased]

Dear Forum Members

 

Please spend no more time on this one. I have got in touch with a professional PC company who use forensic-standard data recovery and I will take the drive to them to see what can be retrieved. I would rather do this than risk further mishap on my part notwithstanding your expert advice.

 

Many thanks to you guys for your responses. :)

 

Regards

 

unphased

[Tootech]

who use forensic-standard data recovery

 

Thats excellent - way to go!!

 

Thanks for letting us know.