Uhm, crap?

hrmph · Post by **hrmph** » 25 Nov 2007, 00:52

A few days ago my computer had a major crash.. After randomly restarting multiple times it finally went into a coma.

I had to reformat my hard drive and I lost the source files for just about every map I've ever made. I know I can decompile the maps using l3dt and get the source images.. but the photoshop files are the ones I actually care about, since almost all my maps involved multiple layers and heavy photoshopping.

Yeah.. It bites.

Does anyone out there know any freeware deleted file retrieval programs that are worth a damn ? I've tried one, but it could only find 5 worthless text files out of my whole 260gig HD. O,o

edit: wow what happened to unknown files? All my maps don't have any images anymore.. *screams* cupppehh what did you do!

Pressure Line · Post by **Pressure Line** » 25 Nov 2007, 00:58

hmmm. i think you may well be buggered

if you hadnt formatted, and instead gotten the hdd recovered there would have been a good chance. otherwise, take it to a pro (or someone who knows a lot about such things) and see.

hrmph · Post by **hrmph** » 25 Nov 2007, 01:02

Oh well, shit happens..

clumsy_culhane · Post by **clumsy_culhane** » 25 Nov 2007, 03:53

and you didn't back it all up regularly because.....

and yea for next time, get it recovered from another computer or a company, instead of formatting it :)

zorbawic · Post by **zorbawic** » 25 Nov 2007, 13:17

the only one effective in that case, which I know, is Easy Recovery Professional but its not free (499$). theres a trial also - haven't checked it though.

I had the same problem some time ago but I don't remember the name of the program i used.

I'm sure You'll find the proper program - just try not to overwrite the lost data.

Edit1: check this - maybe it will be helpful...

AF · Post by AF » 25 Nov 2007, 17:19

The knoppix cd has a good free file undelete tool

mufdvr222 · Post by **mufdvr222** » 26 Nov 2007, 08:55

I was quoted $1,500.00 to recover a 2gb drive a few years ago, It might be worth tyring a few different file recovery program demo`s and buy the one with the most promise. People will always say oh man you should have had it all backed up but the truth is there is not a single person here who would loose nothing if their hard drive died now.

AF · Post by AF » 26 Nov 2007, 11:45

If you have to pay to recover files you're either being ripped off or your drive has suffered immense physical damage, e.g. a disk platter has a crack in it. Which is extremely unlikely to happen anyway.

Tobi · Post by **Tobi** » 26 Nov 2007, 12:16

So you're saying that all recovery software should be freeware?

It's not cool ofc but I don't think there's anything wrong with companies asking monies for services they provide...

AF · Post by AF » 26 Nov 2007, 12:34

I think its bad that your paying for a service thats usually inferior to a tried and tested free-ware product, a service that requires you unplug your hd and take it somewhere or even send it off in the posts for weeks at a time.

Who knows what they might be doing with your HD while its gone. Heck what if it's lost in the post?!?!?!

zorbawic · Post by **zorbawic** » 26 Nov 2007, 12:36

At least he has learned this lesson

When I had that problem it took me a lot of time to search for a decent program suitable in my case and well ... I'm trying to back up more often the data I wish not to loose ...

CarRepairer · Post by **CarRepairer** » 26 Nov 2007, 16:44

I haven't backed up my hd in weeks. I think I'll do it tonight. And every night.

clumsy_culhane · Post by **clumsy_culhane** » 27 Nov 2007, 07:45

i back up once a week, to another computer, and to an exteral ( i.e. not in my house) drive.

Dragon45 · Post by **Dragon45** » 27 Nov 2007, 08:51

http://www.boxbackup.org/

1 external hard drive
1 university account
2 free external storage servers, with full backups secured using strong encryption.

twice weekly. I don't lose shit.

DOT · Post by **DOT** » 27 Nov 2007, 16:57

mufdvr222 wrote:I was quoted $1,500.00 to recover a 2gb drive

1,500,00 DOLLARS?! OMFG?! this is much o.O

rattle · Post by **rattle** » 27 Nov 2007, 17:11

Depends on what was on the harddisk.

Did you do a quick format or full format? I guess the latter when your recovery program couldn't find much.

Forboding Angel · Post by **Forboding Angel** » 27 Nov 2007, 19:40

quick format is easy to recover stuf from, cause all it does is get rid of the reference to the files.

Sangue · Post by **Sangue** » 28 Nov 2007, 15:15

AF · Post by AF » 28 Nov 2007, 20:03

I would say the vast majority of users don't know how to setup partitions, so they would have to buy the mobility pack to get any use out of panda recovery if any.

Not long ago I had a link to a video showing a 2MB tool that could do everything the panda recovery commercial version had but for free.

As a general rule of thumb, if a product comes in two vesion a Pro and a basic, it means that there's an opensource version for free that does the job much better with no price tag. If a company offers a free version of their product, either it's a demo version/trial, or they're only charging businesses.

Here are a few that where on the first page of the google search 'undelete'

http://www.officerecovery.com/freeundelete/
http://ntfsundelete.com/

CompWiz · Post by **CompWiz** » 30 Nov 2007, 16:49

TestDisk and photorec:
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Download
this will work and its free

or

GetDataBack:
http://www.runtime.org

works great but its not free

i used GetDataBack when i reformatted 120gb drive
it found everything

STOP USING THAT DRIVE!
or you will overwrite you files

Spring RTS Engine

Uhm, crap?

Uhm, crap?