Windows erased all my files

[Binky]

I left the room for a minute. When I came back the screen was blank. I rebooted. Windows asked me to put the emergency recovery disk in the CD drive. Like an idiot, I obeyed. Windows reinstalled itself and when it was done, rebooted and reinstalled itself again. This can't be right, I thought.

This is apparently what happened: My C drive failed. When I put the ER disk in it couldn't see the C drive so installed itself on my E drive. The E drive is where all my data lives. Or lived, I should say.

Some or all of my data may or may not be recoverable. I have no idea at this point and have spent the weekend with my head in the sand, quietly freaking out and contemplating my options, if any.

Please don't ask me about my backups. ~#

[Andilinks]

Yikes, this is a very sad story Binky. You need a professional for this data recovery--one of the most competitive businesses out there. If you don't have a personal referral for a data recovery guy and if no one here offers a better solution (quite possible) you could call several locally for an estimate and you could pick at each one's brain a little while you size them up. Well, that's what I'd do, there are many, many people in that business. Best of luck Binky.

Andi

[Binky]

Thanks, Andi. I don't think I can afford a data recovery service. On the other hand I probably can't afford NOT to recover my data. This is what I have to decide. Someone suggested EasyRecovery (http://www.ontrack.com/) - also expensive. Unless I can find someone who has it and can connect to my drive.

[Don]

Windows reinstalled itself and when it was done, rebooted and reinstalled itself again. This can't be right, I thought. Is Windows (version?) working now? If it is, how many hard drives are showing in My Computer?

--
Don

[Randall]

Someone suggested EasyRecovery (http://www.ontrack.com/) - also expensive. $200 for EasyRecovery DataRecovery Standard is cheaper than a data recovery service. By quite a lot in some cases.

But either way, the fact that files have been overwritten lowers the odds of a full recovery. I hope you've turned that PC off for the duration.

Randall

[Andilinks]

I've never tried this but it is about $200 less than EasyRecovery.

http://www.theabsolute.net/sware/dskinv.html