I have only one desktop, and a laptop, so I can't connect the drive to another PC... Easy Recovery shows me the files, but no names or directories. I found it weird that it found almost the double size of mp3 files that I had before... yet the number of files is the same... What is making it difficult is that the partition is badly formatted, damaged. Windows shows it, but when I click at it, it asks me to format. Disk Management shows it as Correct, but with no format... Acronis Disk Director says it is an empty NTFS volume. The program has a Recover Deleted Partition function, but will only work with unallocated space. That was the reason I asked about reformatting it or deleting it. Chkdsk and such utilities shouldn't be used, as I've read so far. Recover my files is not finding much. BUT, I found a $MFT and a $MFTMirr and a lot of of change.log.# files... Metadata I guess... trvlr, any chance of IM'ing? "How do I?"

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I have played with ontrack briefly and found it OK in a relatively simple situation; i.e. it managed to recover a repartitoned drive... Also another util I tested out did much the same (can't remember which it was though). I suggest you try several of these utils - many have freebie/demo versions; some may even be free for the whole package. What you are looking for is an unformat util, or partition recovery util; below are one or two such utils. http://www.easeus.com/datarecoveryw... http://pcperformancetools.com/recov... http://www.handyrecovery.com/?gclid... I haven't used any of the above, so can't comment on their relative efficay... Found the via google using: recover reformatted partition as the search term/string. Suggest you do a similar search and make your own choices - if the above don't appeal or work for you? If this a desktop drive... it possibly would go into a usb drive case; or if it's the laptop drive... then it could go into the desktop via an adapter (and I seem to recall from others here that those adapters don't cost much)?

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Ok! Since EasyRecovery was showing double the size of my MP3 collection, I decided to made it part by part, say, from file0001 to filexxx then filexxx to fileyyy, etc. Delete the files I can rip myself, then recover the ones I would have to buy again. Currently I'm moving 20GB of data, 1 hour left aprox. I'm moving the stuff from my PC to my laptop via LAN. I know this will slow donw the process but I don't any other choice at hand. Once this is over I'll try Handy Recovery, looks useful. I had some more GBs of videos and .exes,rar's, linux files, etc. My priority know is my mp3 collection (35gb), some pdf's, priority emails and some office documents. Without the videos and downloads, this is around 40GB, but EasyRecover says 75GBs... My biggest concern right now is file names. Probably 90% of my mp3's have ID3 tags, so no problem there, just use a mp3 manager to change my file names and folder-arrange them. But my PDF articles are going to be a pain... Thanks for the replies yet, I'll post back the results. "How do I?"

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I don't usually double post, but whatever... EasyRecovery is restoring duplicate files... hence I have almost 80GB of data... Handy Recovery is analyzing, and its showing folders as $$folder_173... but hey!!! it's showing folders and file names!!! I also have 86 unnamed files... but this is some good progress... only thing it has been like 40 minutes. It says analyzing but the progress bar is empty, or full... or I don't know (This WB skin...) I'll get back later... "How do I?"

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I srly never triple post... but what the hell... Handy Recover can't recover the files. Every attempt I've made the files are corrupted. At least EasyRecovey can actually recover them, without filenames tho, and that it is making duplicates every 7 or 10 files, but I'll handle that with an utility I got. I'll post till tomorrow, when I have, at least, recover all the files to my laptop. "How do I?"

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full marks for perserverance...

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Look here to recover the partition. http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/Test... The Wombat Says; The anagram of computervitals is pivotal rectums...

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"per": that's kwaite a package is that util... usefool to have around... ta for the link... trvlr

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I'll give it a quick try to part disk. I do hope this works. Otherwise I still have some 3 more hours of data to recover... and not counting the problem of duplicated files. In some cases I have 3 working copies of the same files. Any ideas of a good and realiable utility that can assist me here? Main point would be tag reading. "How do I?"

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You are welcome trvlr. The Wombat Says; The anagram of computervitals is pivotal rectums...

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Hello! Thanks everyone for the replies! Thanks trvlr!! I recoverd around 35GB of data. I lost some files but this is way better than I expected. I'm now redoing my MP3 library, looking for an app that can arrange them Artist/Album/Title automatically. Been around 24 hours, funny thing is that most of that time I was looking and trying apps... Thanks, have a great night! roflcopter

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That's got to be good news for you... Well dun MacDuff... Now make secure verfified (truly) readable copies off system entirely (CD/DVD)... Incidentally, for future reference..., which util was the most helpful to you; useful to know event of others (or... ye gods oneself...) needing input??

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