HELP! I lost my hard disk and need to recover files

[Jariel]

A couple of days ago my computer was wrecked by a virus. It disabled my firewall, deleted all my virus and spyware checkers and then rendered my PC useless. I contacted various technical wizards and tech help lines and my only option was to format and reinstall windows.

Unfortunately, I didn't get chance to save my files. Not only have I lost personal photos, letters and emails, but I've lost a number of personal projects I spent the last 4 months working on that I can never replace or reproduce. One of which was a complete website I designed and produced.

I'm absolutely gutted and have been feeling really down the last few days.

I've installed only essential software - drivers etc and I've been trying various undelete and recovery programs, but none of them are coming up with files that were there PRIOR to formatting.

I've looked at data recovery specialists and a program called Virtuallab, but they're around $300-500, which I can't afford!

If anyone has any experience with this kind of problem and can suggest any software, I would be eternally grateful. Thanks!

 

[backbreaker]

no problem whatsoever


I can pm you a link to some software that will recover every file on your hard drive

the only thing it won't recoever is a .txt file, thoose are unrecoverable

 

[Eccentric]

I've used programs like that when I regretted deleting some porn files.

Do I or

 

[KarmaSutra]

Have you tried Norton Ghost? I don't like Norton with the exception of Ghost. Worse case scenario bring it to a reputable shop and have them ghost the drive.

Hope you don't have any kids or cats fvcking on there though. Otherwise
sh!tcan it and get a new hard drive and do regular backups.

Hope the Jenna Haze porn was worth it :yes:.

 

[DJDamage]

did you find the source of the infection?

 

[Last Man Standing]

HELP! I lost my hard disk and need to recover files

I'm not a computer expert but I think your hard drive is inside your computer cabinet linked to the motherboard. Did you look in there?

 

[Docs]

the only thing it won't recoever is a .txt file, thoose are unrecoverable

What....I've never heard that before. If it's a file, it takes up space, as 1s and 0s on your drive.

Problem here lies in that you overwrote some of your drive with installing Windows, so you probably won't get everything back.

HOWEVER, I've used GetDataBack for NTFS/FAT, but you'll have to hunt a crack down for it as it's paid software to errm...recover, but you can still do a full scan of your drive to see what you can recover, and you can save your 'steps' so you don't have to repeat the process

Good damn program.

 

[Stuntmann]

Data recovery is one of the services I offer for individuals and businesses. Pricier for businesses and reasonable for individuals. At my last company they used to outsource this services to an out of state contractor, cost them close to 2 grand and recovery wasn't even guaranteed. How can you guarantee something like that?

I only charge if data is recovered, plus a visiting fee if I'm doing something like this locally, waived for over the net, but you paying shipping both ways.

Give it a thought Jariel, I'm trying to make cash so I could spend it.

 

[Docs]

Mmm..

You can only recover what isn't overwritten. Thus, if you can swap the hard drive, or use a different computer entirely for the moment, the better.