Data recovery

[AussieMan]

About 3 weeks ago I had a problem with my C:\ drive. I tried a system restore back to an earlier date but this did not work. I then tried a System Restore from a back up but during the restoration the disk failed. I purchased a new 3TB HD and went through the Windows setup which was successful.

However when I ran windows after the installation it would not find my other 2 internal hard drives so I took them to a friend who has a computer repair shop. I also left him with an external drive in which to transfer data to that I wanted. Today he handed me back the failed hard drive and the external drive and informed me he forgot to save the stuff I wanted saved and formatted the other 2 hard drives.

I am picking up the drives on Friday but I want to see if I can retrieve the data. I recall Gordon (GMan) had a similar problems and was given the names of some freeware data recovery software and I am wondering if someone can help me with the names of the software.

[Brytskiva]

Recuva .. i belive the name was ~ https://www.ccleaner.com/recuva/download

[AussieMan]

Thanks mate.

[Mick]

Isn't data recovery a normal service provided by computer repair shops?

If your friend's shop doesn't do it, surely another nearby shop must, no?

[Jafo]

Is that 'friend' still a friend?

Sounds pretty bloody incompetent to me...

If it's a simple format you'll get some of it back.....if it's a multi-pass security format tie the drives to his ankles and chuck him in the nearest dam...

[gman5250]

My stomach sank when I read your post Pat. That's a blow mate...sorry to hear it.

Going on what you have posted, I take it that the tech re-formatted your drives, and that they are at least readable. Same thing happened to me about ten years ago. I wanted the tech to retrieve a couple of emails, but he re-formatted the drives resulting in a data loss. He attempted to retrieve the data, but it was a dumpster fire.

Regarding my more recent data loss:

The software I used in an attempt to recover my data was EaseUS. It did a reasonable job on all data related to bitmaps i.e. Photoshop files, BMP, JPEG etc. The downside is that the files are recovered in a single "junk pile" with no file names associated. Each file needs to be opened, identified and saved back out to the original names....if you can remember the names of every bitmap you ever saved.

Other data, specifically data like 3DStudio or GMAX...no joy.
Your compressed files i.e. purchased aircraft or scenery may or may not be retrievable, depending on how they were formatted. I was able to recover .rar files only, but other compression formats were un-openable.

Good news is your ORBX, Flightbeam, FS Dreamteam, Milviz, Alabeo, Carenado....etc. etc. are all safe and sound on their servers. I was able to re-download all of my purchases...with great effort...but I do have them all now.

Overall, most of my data was "recovered", but in a useless pile of un correlated file types. For example, a typical freeware scenery or aircraft package is made of a collection of different file types, organized into named folders and file caches. The retrieved data is more or less a dumpster full of files of various types with only numerical names. If you had 100 freeware files, all of the contents would be in a common dumpster. The data is basically un-usable unless you are some sort of savant who can re-assemble the quadrillion possible combinations of nameless files in to some sort of working hierarchy. I'm not a savant, so I just put the old drive in the drawer and started over.

The software was reasonably priced, and did extract data so you might want to try to read those drives and save out what you can. It's a tough choice mate.

[Brytskiva]

Is that 'friend' still a friend?

Sounds pretty bloody incompetent to me...

If it's a simple format you'll get some of it back.....if it's a multi-pass security format tie the drives to his ankles and chuck him in the nearest dam...

[HarleyDude]

Pat Here is an idea for you and others who have lost critical data. If you live near a major police department check and see if they have a forensic computer data recovery team. My city had one and the process was used to recover encrypted data off of hard drives without compromising the original HD. While they may not be able to do the work themselves many of the techs had business on the side or knew of those that offered the data recovery services. Any loss of data is painful and I wish you luck in your file recovery.

[Stefano Zibell]

All they had to do was assign drive letters. I can't believe how they f... this up.

[AussieMan]

My stomach sank when I read your post Pat. That's a blow mate...sorry to hear it.

Going on what you have posted, I take it that the tech re-formatted your drives, and that they are at least readable. Same thing happened to me about ten years ago. I wanted the tech to retrieve a couple of emails, but he re-formatted the drives resulting in a data loss. He attempted to retrieve the data, but it was a dumpster fire.

Regarding my more recent data loss:

The software I used in an attempt to recover my data was EaseUS. It did a reasonable job on all data related to bitmaps i.e. Photoshop files, BMP, JPEG etc. The downside is that the files are recovered in a single "junk pile" with no file names associated. Each file needs to be opened, identified and saved back out to the original names....if you can remember the names of every bitmap you ever saved.

Other data, specifically data like 3DStudio or GMAX...no joy.
Your compressed files i.e. purchased aircraft or scenery may or may not be retrievable, depending on how they were formatted. I was able to recover .rar files only, but other compression formats were un-openable.

Good news is your ORBX, Flightbeam, FS Dreamteam, Milviz, Alabeo, Carenado....etc. etc. are all safe and sound on their servers. I was able to re-download all of my purchases...with great effort...but I do have them all now.

Overall, most of my data was "recovered", but in a useless pile of un correlated file types. For example, a typical freeware scenery or aircraft package is made of a collection of different file types, organized into named folders and file caches. The retrieved data is more or less a dumpster full of files of various types with only numerical names. If you had 100 freeware files, all of the contents would be in a common dumpster. The data is basically un-usable unless you are some sort of savant who can re-assemble the quadrillion possible combinations of nameless files in to some sort of working hierarchy. I'm not a savant, so I just put the old drive in the drawer and started over.

The software was reasonably priced, and did extract data so you might want to try to read those drives and save out what you can. It's a tough choice mate.

Thanks for your advice Gordon. It is much appreciated. You would think that after using computers for something like 35 years I would have learned something. Must be a getting old thing, 73 next month. I will give that EaseUS a try.

[gman5250]

Thanks for your advice Gordon. It is much appreciated. You would think that after using computers for something like 35 years I would have learned something. Must be a getting old thing, 73 next month. I will give that EaseUS a try.

No worries Pat.

Bump me if I can be of any help in the process.

[Jafo]

Pat....if/when you get your stuff back, and if there's space in your machine for one more, or better still two more HDs...bung 'em in and use them as a backup and second/redundancy backup of any/all your 'important' files...eg graphics you do etc. Download 'Syncback' https://www.2brightsparks.com/downlo...cbackfree.html [it's free]...install and run it...set up the folders/stuff you want to backup onto one of the drives...and a second ver onto the other drive. You can have as many folders as you like doing their own redundancies, etc [I have 29]. Set them to backup daily [or weekly if you must] or any frequency you like...but have it set to automatic. The BIG ISSUE with most backups...particularly to external drives...is laziness/complacency....you forget...and then it's all too late when the system goes to poo.

Of my 29, 14 are daily/weekly and 15 are manual - set to go to an external [when I bother] that stays in a fire-safe. If my house burned down tomorrow I'd still find a backup of my skinning work/emails/office docs/etc from about April this year. [evidence of laziness]...

Most important true-ism of Computing....there are only 2 types of computer users....those who backup...and those who cry...

[AussieMan]

What a f*****g mess. So far I have got 2 drives back. The drive that had my system files on it is dead. That means I have lost everything on it. That included partitions containing my Art and Photography folder. The second drive is a 3TB drive which for some reason he has formatted but I now have 2TB that is useable. There is a 746.52GB partition that I cannot do anything with. When I right click on the partition the drop down menu is mostly greyed out with the exception of HELP and Properties.

I have been informed that the partition still being tested is also dead.

I tried using Recuva and it showed that 95% of files on the 3TB/2TB drive are unrecoverable. I went to try the programme Gordon suggested but at $US69 it is out of my affordability range at the moment.

When I re download all my payware stuff Nero Burner will get a good work out.

[Gdavis101]

Isn't data recovery a normal service provided by computer repair shops?

If your friend's shop doesn't do it, surely another nearby shop must, no?

Shop I used to work for always backed up customers data regardless of request from the the customer. It was always a good insurance policy because there were always those people who didn't understand what wiping a drive and reinstalling windows actually meant. We actually stored backups for our repeat customers, because it was just easier then trying to explain that it could not be retrieved. This was all done with the customers consent of course.

[Jafo]

What a f*****g mess.

When I re download all my payware stuff Nero Burner will get a good work out.

Just a reminder...optical media...like CDs/DVDs are not immune to deterioration over time, are also fragile [scratching/delaminating], mechanical drives [platters] can fail [as you're finding], so these days probably the most lasting are solid state drives [which do have a limited write/rewrite cycle but it's arguably a long 'limit'].

Quite a while ago I transferred a LOT of CD/DVD/Zip/Floppies [soft and hard] to solid state [and a secondary/redundant one too].
Saving grace is I now have room in the office...and a whole bunch of drink coasters...

[AussieMan]

​This is the drive I am referring to the D: drive. that bit at the end with the drop down menu.

The big question is how do I make it active as a partition so I can add a drive letter or extend the D: partition.

[wombat666]

Just a reminder...optical media...like CDs/DVDs are not immune to deterioration over time, are also fragile [scratching/delaminating], mechanical drives [platters] can fail [as you're finding], so these days probably the most lasting are solid state drives [which do have a limited write/rewrite cycle but it's arguably a long 'limit'].

Quite a while ago I transferred a LOT of CD/DVD/Zip/Floppies [soft and hard] to solid state [and a secondary/redundant one too].
Saving grace is I now have room in the office...and a whole bunch of drink coasters...

Good points indeed.
I invested in a number of 'M-DISC' DVD's as they claim to last for yonks and are a decent size.
So far so good, but I have a second line of defence (defence in depth is a good option) in Flash drives for anything I deem 'vital'.

[Jafo]

​This is the drive I am referring to the D: drive. that bit at the end with the drop down menu.

The big question is how do I make it active as a partition so I can add a drive letter or extend the D: partition.

Dang it...lost the last reply...server too busy...etc.
In that view...Right click on the partition you want to enlarge and the option should be there to do so...

[erican2]

I have only had a couple of backup dvd's that have become unreadable also a couple of usb drives failed , the biggest problem I have is that some of them are that old the indelible marker I used has rubbed off so trying to find old files has become more time consuming.

[Jafo]

Forgot to add....right click on the 'D' drive and expand into that free unallocated space....