help! quick-format wrong hard-drive. fix?

mitch · 2022-12-24 6:17

hi guys. need your help, please!
I have 2 external hard drives and have now moved all files to one. the files were about 2 TB in size.
I started a quick format on the empty hard drive. After 2 seconds I noticed that unfortunately it was the wrong hard drive and I immediately canceled the quick formatting.
Unfortunately, I can no longer access the hard drive. the message comes up that the hard disk has to be formatted first.
my question: is there a way to get my data back? if yes how? preferred for free. Thanks in advance

lainen · 2022-12-24 9:02

(2022-12-24 6:17)mitch Wrote: hi guys. need your help, please!
I have 2 external hard drives and have now moved all files to one. the files were about 2 TB in size.
I started a quick format on the empty hard drive. After 2 seconds I noticed that unfortunately it was the wrong hard drive and I immediately canceled the quick formatting.
Unfortunately, I can no longer access the hard drive. the message comes up that the hard disk has to be formatted first.
my question: is there a way to get my data back? if yes how? preferred for free. Thanks in advance

Search the web...
There is a lot of tools out there Smile

beeohess · 2022-12-24 10:47

Try a tool called Recuva

sfmpegs · 2022-12-24 10:58

(2022-12-24 9:02)lainen Wrote:
(2022-12-24 6:17)mitch Wrote: hi guys. need your help, please!
I have 2 external hard drives and have now moved all files to one. the files were about 2 TB in size.
I started a quick format on the empty hard drive. After 2 seconds I noticed that unfortunately it was the wrong hard drive and I immediately canceled the quick formatting.
Unfortunately, I can no longer access the hard drive. the message comes up that the hard disk has to be formatted first.
my question: is there a way to get my data back? if yes how? preferred for free. Thanks in advance

Search the web...
There is a lot of tools out there

True, the web is full of tools.
Personally i had never good results in undelete or unformatting data...

devloop · (This post was last modified: 2022-12-24 12:22 by devloop.)

(2022-12-24 6:17)mitch Wrote: hi guys. need your help, please!
I have 2 external hard drives and have now moved all files to one. the files were about 2 TB in size.
I started a quick format on the empty hard drive. After 2 seconds I noticed that unfortunately it was the wrong hard drive and I immediately canceled the quick formatting.
Unfortunately, I can no longer access the hard drive. the message comes up that the hard disk has to be formatted first.
my question: is there a way to get my data back? if yes how? preferred for free. Thanks in advance

DO NOT USE COMMERCIAL TOOLS (with free trial or not) to recover accidentally deleted data. NEVER. They are based on a business model made to not recover your files fully until you paid for a subscription or additional fees (and without any warranty). These programs are hidden paywalls. Some of them even make your files unrecoverable by randomly wiping everything!

Use open source software such as PhotoRec or TestDisk. PhotoRec may fully or partially recover some files. Also it may merge some of your videos into one in the recovery process but at least you will recover them.

PRIOR TO ANY RECOVERY ATTEMPT: clone your drive (the one you accidentally formatted) as an image file (.img or .iso file) using disk utilities such as dd (or something based on it), do not try anything before having that backup.

glhf

beeohess · 2022-12-27 6:57

(2022-12-24 12:01)devloop Wrote:
(2022-12-24 6:17)mitch Wrote: hi guys. need your help, please!
I have 2 external hard drives and have now moved all files to one. the files were about 2 TB in size.
I started a quick format on the empty hard drive. After 2 seconds I noticed that unfortunately it was the wrong hard drive and I immediately canceled the quick formatting.
Unfortunately, I can no longer access the hard drive. the message comes up that the hard disk has to be formatted first.
my question: is there a way to get my data back? if yes how? preferred for free. Thanks in advance

DO NOT USE COMMERCIAL TOOLS (with free trial or not) to recover accidentally deleted data. NEVER. They are based on a business model made to not recover your files fully until you paid for a subscription or additional fees (and without any warranty). These programs are hidden paywalls. Some of them even make your files unrecoverable by randomly wiping everything!

Use open source software such as PhotoRec or TestDisk. PhotoRec may fully or partially recover some files. Also it may merge some of your videos into one in the recovery process but at least you will recover them.

PRIOR TO ANY RECOVERY ATTEMPT: clone your drive (the one you accidentally formatted) as an image file (.img or .iso file) using disk utilities such as dd (or something based on it), do not try anything before having that backup.

glhf

This. Absolutely.

But, I would still reccommend Recuva for a more polished experience. It's commercial, and it has a paid version, but the free version is fully functional; the paid version comes with tech support and updates. The free version will work just fine!

devloop · (This post was last modified: 2022-12-27 13:38 by devloop.)

(2022-12-27 6:57)beeohess Wrote: But, I would still reccommend Recuva for a more polished experience. It's commercial, and it has a paid version, but the free version is fully functional; the paid version comes with tech support and updates. The free version will work just fine!

Recuva was developed by Piriform (the guys behind CCleaner)...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CCleaner Wrote:After Piriform was acquired by Avast, in September 2017, CCleaner 5.33 was compromised by the incorporation into the distributed program of the Floxif trojan horse that could install a backdoor, enabling remote access to 2.27 million[31] machines which had installed CCleaner to be infected.

Use it at your own risk Big Grin

mitch · (This post was last modified: 2022-12-27 14:12 by mitch.)

PRIOR TO ANY RECOVERY ATTEMPT: clone your drive (the one you accidentally formatted) as an image file (.img or .iso file) using disk utilities such as dd (or something based on it), do not try anything before having that backup.

glhf
[/quote]
can tell me exactly step by step how to do this?

puhh very bad situation for me. thanks you all. still hope for an safety way

devloop · (This post was last modified: 2022-12-28 0:29 by devloop.)

(2022-12-27 14:11)mitch Wrote: can tell me exactly step by step how to do this?

puhh very bad situation for me. thanks you all. still hope for an safety way

Honestly I don't know an easy way to do it if you are using Windows. I suggest you to ask to beeohess, maybe he knows a good software for Windows to make (sector-by-sector) disk cloning.

I know it's painful to lose terabytes of recordings but if you already tried to format again, write data or install something new on your hard drive after the incident occurred, it's probably too late for (a full) recovery, don't waste weeks on it.

Also I recommend you, from now on, to sort your stuff and make a special folder with your most important files (usually 10 to 20% of a collection) and copy them to (at least) 2 different devices. Always be ready to lose the remaining 80% in a data incident, random device failure or... natural disaster!

lainen · 2022-12-28 22:39

(2022-12-24 6:17)mitch Wrote: hi guys. need your help, please!
I have 2 external hard drives and have now moved all files to one. the files were about 2 TB in size.
I started a quick format on the empty hard drive. After 2 seconds I noticed that unfortunately it was the wrong hard drive and I immediately canceled the quick formatting.
Unfortunately, I can no longer access the hard drive. the message comes up that the hard disk has to be formatted first.
my question: is there a way to get my data back? if yes how? preferred for free. Thanks in advance

Sorry for my rather short answer earlier.

Here is a link:
https://www.handyrecovery.com/quick-format-recovery/
They explain what happens when you quick format and how to recover your data.

It's lucky you only did a quick format Smile

All data is there.

The most important things you have to remember is:

Don't stress - Take your time - Read and understand.

devloop · (This post was last modified: 2022-12-29 20:40 by devloop.)

(2022-12-28 22:39)lainen Wrote: Here is a link:
https://www.handyrecovery.com/quick-format-recovery/
They explain what happens when you quick format and how to recover your data.

It's lucky you only did a quick format
All data is there.

The most important things you have to remember is:

Don't stress - Take your time - Read and understand.

Shiny and helpful but they omit the most basic thing: making a forensic copy. Never try to recover data on the original device.

Note that you haven't actually "quick formatted" your hard drive since you interrupted the process before completion. Some of your storage space has actually been marked as "free" and can be recovered (as long as it has not been wiped by new data or any writing operation) but what's left can be considered as a broken filesystem with random state. Most of the software listed on handyrecovery may be useless.

Take your time for sure but don't waste a year on it. Just make sure it won't happen again by sorting and backing up your critical stuff.

mitch · 2022-12-29 18:31

I thank you all for your sympathy, that you really try to help me without leaving stupid comments. this is really rare. so thanks a lot again!
devloop could you please pm me? I would like to do it the way you would do it in my place.

devloop · 2022-12-29 20:32

(2022-12-29 18:31)mitch Wrote: I thank you all for your sympathy, that you really try to help me without leaving stupid comments. this is really rare. so thanks a lot again!
devloop could you please pm me? I would like to do it the way you would do it in my place.

pm sent

beeohess · 2022-12-30 7:17

(2022-12-27 13:34)devloop Wrote:
(2022-12-27 6:57)beeohess Wrote: But, I would still reccommend Recuva for a more polished experience. It's commercial, and it has a paid version, but the free version is fully functional; the paid version comes with tech support and updates. The free version will work just fine!

Recuva was developed by Piriform (the guys behind CCleaner)...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CCleaner Wrote:After Piriform was acquired by Avast, in September 2017, CCleaner 5.33 was compromised by the incorporation into the distributed program of the Floxif trojan horse that could install a backdoor, enabling remote access to 2.27 million[31] machines which had installed CCleaner to be infected.

Use it at your own risk

I knew they were developed by Piriform, but I didn't put two and two together about the Avast thing. Oops! I keep my copy of Recuva on a thumb drive, so I never have to download it from the site again (since it supposedly never gets updates).

OP please ignore my suggestion!

mitch · 2023-02-11 12:24

have an update.
i downloaded for free "EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard".
i let the program run overnight. at the end came scan completed and found 0 files. what do you think, are all files gone for sure or would the result look different if i bought the paid version or do you have any other suggestions?

thank you

Newsreader · 2023-02-11 13:23

(2023-02-11 12:24)mitch Wrote: have an update.
i downloaded for free "EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard".
i let the program run overnight. at the end came scan completed and found 0 files. what do you think, are all files gone for sure or would the result look different if i bought the paid version or do you have any other suggestions?

thank you

I am not sure, but usually free versions find all the results you want. You feel ecstatic, but when you come to recover, it then tells you you need to pay for the full version, as most free software is very basic. So I very much doubt the payed version will be any good either. Sad

help! quick-format wrong hard-drive. fix?

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