How to recover data from a formated drive?

[crossbone]

I have an external hard drive that I formated in quick mode but just realized there's a folder or two that I wish to recover. the drive has not been overwritten. any free utilities available online?
thanks!

[mjc]

What file system was it? What is it now?

USB or other connection?

[Paul Komski]

A quick format simply "deletes" everything on the drive - that is to say the file system should be unchanged other than marking all files as deleted. It's akin to deltree C: if one could run such a command.

For recovering files GetDataBack (http://www.runtime.org) (for FAT or NTFS) as appropriate run from Windows should find them OK and it is free to then recover them by opening the file in the application that created them and to then save the file from that application. It is not free to recover stuff in batches but the program should show you what is recoverable or not. Executables (indeed all files) can be opened into a hex editor such as WinHex or TinyHexer and the files then saved appropriately.

There are other options that can be considered when we have the info that mjc requested - particularly if there are a lot of files to recover.

Actually thinking about mjc's comments about possibly changing the file system I might have to go back and do some homework on quick formatting if the FS is changed or do some experimenting. Even so the data shouldnt have been overwritten.

[Paul Komski]

Test #1. Quick format of NTFS over FAT created just a system information folder (well mft and other hidden metadata files as well of course) and GDBforFAT recovered all the original Files from the FAT partition. It produced two "file systems" one full of empty folders but the other was a reproduction of the original explorer tree.

Next test, when I have time, will be quick FAT over NTFS.

[mjc]

About the only time it could be a problem is when the file systems are radically different (like going from FAT to something like one of the old Mac ones...). I just wanted to make sure we weren't dealing with something like that...

[Paul Komski]

mjc - I think you had a good point regardless and it made me think about what might be going on with a quick format AND a change of partition type. Realised I didn't know the definitive answer and often the best way of getting the answer is to experiment.

I'm forever amazed at just how good GDB is at recovering data (from oringally formatted FAT or NTFS of course).

;)

[Sylvander]

The FREE Emergency Boot CD (http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=41485) [EBCD] includes an "Un-format" program on its 2nd menu.

The basic EBCD cannot work on USB "devices" [e.g. HDD's] unless cutomised to add "USB for DOS" drivers [I've done that with mine]
If you didn't customise the EBCD, youd need to take the HDD out of the external enclosure and fit it internally, ideally as the only drive.

Don't know if it will only unformat FAT partitions or any kind of partition.

[Mr.Umbrella]

well, there are lot's of utilities.
Some can be found by googling :)
and here is one
http://www.shareware-download.org/ancysoft-data-recovery-i65715.php