Recovering Data from a Formatted Hard Drive

dildcayck

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Hello:

I recently formatted the computer for our family business which is running Windows 98SE. I used fdisk to delete the partitions and then the dos format utility to format the drive in preparation for the new installation. After all was said and done, it came to our attention that our back-up disks are all damaged and cannot be read. The only other backup that we have was the data stored on the HD pre-format. What programs, utilities or general suggestions can I try for recovering this data? As well the error on the cd's when trying to recover the data is that the media cannot be read and sometimes, depending on the program, "cyclic redundancey error". I have tried to recover it using the X-Repair tool included with DVD X-Copy, but this had proved unfruitful so far, any ideas on what to do wtih these disks aside from discard? Any help is most greatly appreciated, as the life of the business relies on getting this data back.
 
As far as the formatted hard drive goes, you have lost everything.

Once you have used fdisk to repartition a hardrive, the following format is a lowlevel format in the case of the Win98 boot disc. that mean all the information on the drive is rewritten. The only way you could possibly recover it is taking the drive to a specialist data recovery center.

As for recovering data from the cd, I personally wouldn't know where to start.

Sorry mate
 
I've been told quite the opposite...that because I have used fdisk and the DOS format utility, and only once, that the information can be recovered. The two ways to do this are to bring to a data recovery specialist or to obtain a copy of a program that is used for data recovery purposes...does anyone know the names of any?
 
Sorry, I don't know the names of any.

The fact that you used fdisk actually hightens the possiblility that you will lose everything, because you formatted directly after fdisking so the only method of format you could possible have done is a semi-low-level format, where each block is rewritten and verified. If it hadn't have been fdisked, you could have used the "format" command with the "/q" switch that would have only re-writen the file allocation tables (quick format). This would keep all the data on the drive, with only the pointers from the FAT being wipped. Any comercial utilities simply re-biuld the File Allocation Table by intesively scanning the data left on the disc.

You would need to take the drive to a specialist, so they can analyse the disc further. Comercial software alone won't do it.
 
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