Help, computer format regrets!!!

[concentric]

That's why 2" tape doesn't suck.

JCM

[2" Tape sucks!]

Just rub in my face, just go ahead , , but seriously is there anybody who knows how to really make this nightmare go away......????

[concentric]

Originally posted by 2" Tape sucks!
Just rub in my face, just go ahead , , but seriously is there anybody who knows how to really make this nightmare go away......????

You make your plays and takes your chances...
Didn't mean to be mean. I've had my share of unfortunate accidents, trust me. I feel your pain.

The only thing I can suggest would be to try to use some sort of disk recovery software, maybe Norton Utilities or the like would be of some help. We use Disk Warrior for Firewire recovery, perhaps that would help with your drive.

Jason

[Ruphus]

Damn, 2Tape,

your story sucks severally.

But I think things mustn´t be hopeless yet.
As far as I know data can be recovered up to 7 layers deep. If I see that right your layer is second level. Data can on principle be brought back to life even after reformatting, but I don´t know what level it requires and whether it can still be managed with consumer tools.

( Pro help would probably be too expensive and long lasting.)

There is a product I know of, but you would need to read about its capacities yourself, because I havn´t used thelike myself yet.

It is named EasyRecovery Pro. I just went and had a look at it and the good news is that it CAN recover after reformat, the bad news is that I havn´t seen an English version of it, but I´m sure the German in there would still be to understood somewhat in the extent of the procedure required.

There is even a demo available, but I don´t know whether its ristriction is in regard of functions or time limit. If hopefully the latter your problem could possibly be solved.

I hope that could help in any way.

Ruphus

[heinz]

You may have had a chance to recover after the accidental format, but by writing the XP installation to the drive you pretty much guaranteed the loss of the first 0.5 to 1GB plus whatever it wrote as a swap file (if you booted it, you wrote a swap file and whatever else).

Sorry to tell you this but I've been there too. Swallow hard, buy the band a nice dinner and some ganja, and offer to re-track them for free.

[stuntmixer]

There's a chance you may be able to get some or all of your data back if:

You don't touch the drive other than to find a recovery program and use it.

In other words DON'T TURN IT OFF!! DON'T SAVE ANYMORE DATA!! DON'T EVEN LOOK AT IT FUNNY!! I can't remember the name of the software that I used once when I did something similer, but they are out there. The trick is to not use the space on the drive where the data still remains. Search the net and find the program that gets the best reviews and bite the bullet and buy the full professional version of it. A lot of the demos will only recover small files, as audio files tend to be large.......

The one time I did something like this I had to recreate the drums from partial files and ended up creating a great distorted drum loop that became the heart of the song in the end.

Good Luck

[RhOdEz]

second vote for EasyRecovery Pro .
my part time job is fixing PC troubles/setting other ppl's hardware/software and Easy Recovery resolved lots of these "should i cry and then kill myself or just kill myself now and cry later " situations.(and many ppl love me forever after sucessfull ressurecting of their masterpieces

DOnt use Norton Utilities/DIsk Doctor ,it'll ****up sectors beyond repair in 90% of cases ,trust me on this .Try using it only if everything else fails ,it worked only once for restoring some partition table .
Anyway ,Ontrack Easy Recovery (or Power Quest Lost & Found etc..) software can rescue all data on drives where partition info is lost,or hard drive is formated ,data deleted etc by acessing data sector by sector ignoring regular partition/file info.Basic principle is based on a fact that when you delete/format data ,delete /format command doesnt actually write zeros instead of file data,it just masks first symbol of file name (or smth like that)and file content actually stays there untill the moment smth ELSE is actually written to that sector .
Prob with your case is that you installed XP over that partition ,so XP files 're written on some sectors on beginning of your drive .These sectors i'm afraid 're dead.Gone. Theres a hope for latter data after first 1 gig or smth (which poopoo XP destroyed )
Anyway you need second empty drive where recovered data from
first drive will be copied (drive size should be same or bigger )
If you could unly undo XP install part ,ressurection process could be 100% sucess.(by reversing bit by bit somehow on first part of drive ? -anti install - setup.exe thru Little Labs IBP hmmm ...

Just be patient with it - scanning and copying process can last 3-6 hours on usual 80 gig drive full of data - with latest version its faster i think .Shiet like that just happens to everybody dont hit yourself in the head too much ,have a drink and do smth nice for your client .I once deleted one guy's only master dat
(he just came to tranfer mix to tape)
Then i rerecorded/arranged/programmed/mixed that one deleted song and it became a hit eh

[RhOdEz]

Check your PM ,i've sent you some usefull links

[zimv20]

Originally posted by 2" Tape sucks!
I have NO BACKUP!!!!!!!

after this is all over, will you implement a reliable backup plan?

[RichT]

Originally posted by 2" Tape sucks!
I have "quick" formated my session disk and by accident installed win XP on top of it, and I have NO BACKUP!!!!!!! vOf the material on that disk and I am in the middle of a production with a Rock act.........I do not feel gooood right now!!

Anybody who knows anything that really works shout it out to me in my face please, and yes I know the artists are gonna burn me on a stick so I really feel and soon to be

Sorry to nag but at what point does upgrading your OS, mid-project, without any sort of back up make any sense?

People think that computers are the problem but it's all down to the dude in front of the screen....

Good luck with getting your data back.

[djs]

anyone know if there are any decent data recovery apps. out there for mac os9/osX? all the ones i find are pc only or crap (if for mac).
thanks.

[infiniteposse]

3rd recomendation for Easy Recover Pro. I've got the app at work (I support pc's and Mac's professionally) and it's a solid and simple app to work with. As said earlier, don't touch the disk and then you may have a prayer of getting back data.

http://www.ontrack.com/easyrecoveryprofessional/

[ozraves]

i'd contact these guys:

http://www.drivesavers.com/

[djs]

infiniteposse,
is there a different version of easy recover pro for mac someplace? i could only find versions supporting dos and windows os from the link you posted.

thanks.

[bgavin]

I handle disaster data recovery as a service to my clients.

When the manure hits the air moving device, pony up the (big) cash and let OnTrack do your disk.

1) Hook up the disk to a machine that has an internet connection.
2) Contact OnTrack and get instructions.

They will do an analysis of your drive for a small fee, then tell you how much to recover the data.

The most recent one I did was $4,700, and the most expensive was $22,000.

Consider having a 2nd disk for a backup mechanism in the future. It is much cheaper and less nerve wracking than what you are getting ready to undertake.

[crispy]

err...doesn't having separate system & session drives avoid all of this?

In the four years I've had my G4 it's never gone down. I attribute that to never ****ing around with it unneccessarily. I don't own any antivirus/recovery software either.

[raydo]

hate to tell you this
that after you installed xp
there is no consumer shit out there this is going to get you your files in any usable way
pay the piper