How to forum: Partition or file recovery

Too often if you get to this point in asking what to do, you're already over your head. While some s/w may provide some help, they're also prone to be on a learning basis as an user needs to know it step by step. Also, some freebies are nothing but trial s/w that really does part of the job, it can't complete the process until you pay for the full version. Also, again freebies maybe great to use but are so hard to use or unguided process, you get lost. Further, continued use may also place the very data in real super corruption and become unrecoverable. As Robert stated, "clone the drive" that way you've a 2nd chance or working recovery process that doesn't wipe out or fully corrupt the original data. There are many variables and all too often unknown to the new user trying this. Which is why, it's the "preventive maintenance" like a "back-up" to work from or recover from is better, rather than trying attempts at less than stable data. The last resort, costs permitting is to use some data recovery service. You can google and use the "paid for version" of some recovery s/w but these may not work if data is being recovered a real h/w issue as in a bad drive of any kind.

Alas, what worked with Win9x days may not be so forthcoming in XP and later OS versions. Its just another layer of complexity to deal with. If you can see the data on your troubled drive, then copy and swap over to the new USB ext. drive. If that doesn't work, so whatever s/w you require to clone or copy to that new drive. How does that work for ya?

tada -----Willy

The discussion thread you originally replied to was from 2008, 4 years ago. That is why it was recommended you repost to your own thread and provide full details. Things change in 4 years and the options available then may be different to what are available now.

For example, have you tried any of the options note in this discussion?
http://forums.cnet.com/7723-7588_102-354911/lost-and-found-or-the-storage-forum-sticky/?tag=contentBody;threadListing

Mark

Yes that is one of our favorite collections of recovery tools.

The problem seems pretty deep on this drive and since DADSGETNDOWN seems a little lost on data recovery or may be thinking there is some step by step to data recovery, this is why I'm thinking they should have it done for them.

Only the new tech would think there is a procedure that works everytime. And then you read there is no partition but why should that matter because I want my files back. This shows that they have a long way to go before they should go near a drive with the last copy on Earth.

DADSGETNDOWN should not be offended by all this so far. Everyone has to start somewhere and I'm seeing folk dive in and I applaud that.

Let's hope they see the danger on operating on the last copy or drive on Earth and will clone the drive then try the software at the link given.

At least when they try that and if it doesn't work out the drive with the last copy on Earth is still untouched and stands the best chance for the folk at Drive Savers.
Bob

I am to easy going for that and I don't know much about data recovery obviously.
I am not and have not used the drive since all this took place.
And I thought that the post telling me step 1 was to clone meant I should have done that before it messed up, like backing up, not right now first thing, unfortunately that was when I first starting using computers.
So it would seem I need a good cloning program, and or better yet check out the drivesavers, But the last time I checked, it's way to expensive for my blood, and there isn't anything Life threatening or ending on there, though maybe a few things like a picture of a family member or something, but nothing that's going to really hurt. That I don't already have.

Why the thread was locked and why you told me to start a new one., The reason I did post there though is because on something like this, I have been told to search (I did), this question has been asked blank many times and things like this, so I figured I would start there.

We do ask, and we do hope, that members here will use the Search function to look for options and solutions before they post, and then if they post, to refer back to what they have found.

We would prefer that older discussions are automatically locked after a set time and the Forum Engineers are looking into that, but until then these older threads are available for anyone to post in.

The problem is purely a practical one, or few.

Spam. Old threads seem to attract spammers who believe their posts will not be discovered in those old discussions.

Old information. What applied then may not apply now. In fact we have posters who want to argue points because something or other didn't work for them, not realising that what worked then has changed or disappeared. Some get quite upset when we tell them and ask them to repost with full details.

Lost posts. While the members here do try to help everyone, sometimes we do just 'walk on by' when we see the date of the older threads.

So search, yes, and thank you. But if the problem remains, let us know in your own discussion with any relevant information and searches.

Mark