OMG WTF NOOOOOO... sigh, Help!

[bentobaku]

I pulled a complete newb move (ironically was distracted writing instruction on how to do the exact thing i screwed up). I was attempting to reformat a usb thumb drive to create a dos bootable usb drive. Well as i was adding the note about checking which drive you have selected, i was failing to check what drive i had selected. Well I had my 120 external drive selected. The format would not start because of the drive is in use... but now when i go to windows and try to access it, it says the drive needs to be formatted. Well I realize the format prolly got corrupted because of the attempt, but i am wondering is there any hope and if so how can i get the stuff off of the drive? Any help would be very much appreciated... sigh I am my own worst enemy... lol

 

[carnageX]

Try running a chkdsk on it, or try booting off of a Linux Live CD and accessing the data that way.

 

[MindoverMaster]

bentobaku, are you quite all right? You seem to be bouncing off the walls.

But yes, Carnage is right. You should try the following.

 

[bentobaku]

Well chkdsk comes back and says "CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives" and I never have luck with linux programs.

 

[carnageX]

Ubuntu homepage | Ubuntu

Go there, download the ISO, and use ImgBurn to burn the ISO onto a blank CD. Boot off of the CD and then pick to "Try it out" or whatever the option is. Then try to browse to your HDD that is having the problem, and see if you can recover the data that way. Otherwise, you may have to try recovery programs, or if the data is important enough to you, send it to a data recovery place (which can cost at least $500).

 

[KSoD]

The drive is already in RAW format. Which means that the format had started and removed the partition tables and file system.

You will have to format it to NTFS and then use recovery software. AFAIK not even Ubuntu can read RAW drives.

 

[bentobaku]

Ty i will try that Carnage... and no its not that important it just some media that i didnt want to take the time to re download.

Sigh ok well ty again. anyone know a good recovery program?

 

[KSoD]

http://www.techist.com/forums/f9/read-first-windows-stickies-index-169789/

In there is this:

http://www.techist.com/forums/f9/recommended-software-certain-tasks-171255/

Which should be more than useful.

 

[carnageX]

The drive is already in RAW format. Which means that the format had started and removed the partition tables and file system.

You will have to format it to NTFS and then use recovery software. AFAIK not even Ubuntu can read RAW drives.

Reason I suggested it, is because I've had some luck a few times with similar situations.

 

[bentobaku]

Well it is seeming at this point it is gone... I probably could have saved it, but I didnt find the right program till it is to late... anyone that has this happen use "Partition Find and Mount". it just uses its own files to look at the RAW drive. I havent been able to find a program that will recover a reformatted drive... If there is one i missed plz let me know.