OMG....I think i lost all my files

NewGuyNewGuy
edited September 2006 in Hardware
Ok.... before i was using a 200GB IDE hdd. I got a 250GB sata II hdd recently. My plan was to install windows on the sataII and transfer all my files on the sataII. I needed the 200GB IDE for school.

anway i connected the hdd and booted windows normaly from the 200GB hdd. I went to my computer>manager>device manager. and there i saw my 250GB. I formated the whole hdd. (1 partition 232GB total cuz it came out to be 232GB out of the box) Now i was able to see drive G: which was 232GB on in "My Computer" Now i was gonna re-boot and install windows on it.

My 200gb drive has 20GB for OS and rest for everything else

when i went to boot from cd... it asked where i wanted to install windows. It was confusing.... i couldn't tell which drive was which. The 250 GB some how was showing 138GB. ... in the end i deleted something (which i regret and feel like punching myself for doing :banghead: ) which im pretty sure was the 20GB partition of the OS.

i installed windows on the 250 GB (well which is 138GB for some reason now ) Now when i loaded the newly installed windows...went to "My Computer" (from the sata2 hdd)> manager>device manager> it showed the capacity for the sataII was 138GB....and the capacity for the 200GB was 128GB or something.

HERE is the worst news. I was hoping i could just transfer files from the old hdd to the new one....BUT a message popped up saying something like "This hard drive is not formatted, press ok to format" :hair::hair::hair:

All my important files are on that hard drive i cant format it!!!!! :eek3:

More Bad news: i need my 200GB hdd for school TOMOROW!! :banghead: so please if u can tell me a way to recover those files before tomorow!!

What do cops use to recover files from hard drives? I shouldve made backup on my ipod or something DAAM shoulde listned to my teacher when he said always Backup Backup Backup!!!

Please help!!

Comments

  • Park_7677Park_7677 Missouri Member
    edited September 2006
    Make sure your Windows has at least SP1, preferably SP2. WinXP (no-SP) does not recognize drives larger than 137 GB. That is most likely the cause of it saying it's not formatted (because it does not correctly process the 200 GB that is there).

    Be careful with your drive. Even shut down the computer and remove the 200 GB drive until SP2 gets installed so you don't accidentally harm it. You can re-install it once you get updated.
  • NewGuyNewGuy
    edited September 2006
    Thank you alot for your reply! im feelin a little better now :D I was installing a windows without a sp, didn't know about the 138 limit thank u.

    I guess i have to go without a hard drive tomorow...but the files are more important :bigggrin:

    thank you for ur help i will reply when i get sp2
  • NewGuyNewGuy
    edited September 2006
    Hello, i got windows sp2 and im about to install it on the 250 GB hard drive...i hope i can do everything in less than 1 hr :D
  • NewGuyNewGuy
    edited September 2006
    Ok now i installed windows and im about to reboot...hook up the 200GB....and see if I can recover the files.
  • NewGuyNewGuy
    edited September 2006
    Daam its giving me the same message. "This drive is not formatted press ok to format." Thats for the 128GB partition...there is another 58GB partition which is unallocated
  • Park_7677Park_7677 Missouri Member
    edited September 2006
    NewGuy wrote:
    Daam its giving me the same message. "This drive is not formatted press ok to format." Thats for the 128GB partition...there is another 58GB partition which is unallocated
    Windows already had time to do its meddling.

    Download TestDisk and see if it will recover the partition. If you need help with the program post back here and I'm sure someone can help.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited September 2006
    Park_7677 wrote:
    ...Download TestDisk and see if it will recover the partition...
    Listen to Park, that is excellent advice. :thumbsup:
  • NewGuyNewGuy
    edited September 2006
    Woww thanks alot park testdisk did the trick. I got all my files back. :celebrate :celebrate :celebrate I didn't know how to use it but i kinda fooled around with it. it told me to reboot and after that i saw all my files phewwww :) man i cant thank u enough!

    hopefully my speakers will work now :p

    thanks again man :rockon:
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited September 2006
    Lest you find yourself in a bind somewhere down the road, you might want to put a Backup Strategy in place. Believe me, we've all been in your shoes. Knowing that you have your data safely backed up somewhere will save you from days of panic while you wonder if you've lost everything.

    Nice call, Park. :cheers:
  • Park_7677Park_7677 Missouri Member
    edited September 2006
    Glad everything is great again! There's no worse feeling than loosing all your priceless files but there's no better feeling than getting them all back. :)
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