Gaming Failed Quick Format

[Diablo1123]

So i accidentally quick formatted my external hard drive, but it somehow failed when trying to do it. I'm now attempting to get the files back, as it is 500GB of stuff I don't wanna have to redownload.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[wchill]

Get some "undelete" software; I know that they work even though your drive may be full-formatted. (BTW the title is misleading, it's an accidental quick format)
Since a quick format just wipes the first 63 sectors of a drive, your data is still safe.

Edit:
Disconnect your external drive ASAP and use a live Linux disc. We don't want any data to be overwritten.

 

[Diablo1123]

No actually the program said it failed to quick format xD
Also now the drive File System says RAW.

What Linux Live disc do you suggestion, and has the undelete software?

 

[wchill]

It's still accidental:

So i accidentally quick formatted my external hard drive

Get the Ubuntu 8.10 live disc, it's saved my ass in more than one situation.
http://www.ubuntu.com/

Use the live disc option.
Open up Terminal and then type in:

CODEsudo apt-get install foremost

This is the undelete software.

Before you continue from there, though, I need to know how many hard drives you have in your PC.

 

[Diablo1123]

One internal hard drive, and the accidentally quick format is external.

That'll still work on Ubuntu 8.04 LTS right? Because I'm still bothering my friend to return my 8.10 disc.

 

[wchill]

Yeah it should.
Ok, try this:

sudo foremost -w -i /dev/sda -o /recovery/foremost

 

[sweenish]

accidentally formatting anything is kind of epic

it's more than a one click deal.

 

[wchill]

Epic fail, you mean?
Not really.
Once I was messing around with diskpart in Windows and I accidentally deleted a partition with my data files on it.
Being the stupid person I was, I overwrote the deleted data. I couldn't recover it.

 

[sweenish]

yeah, really

anytime you're going to something massive like that, you usually get a confirmation dialog

and the format option is usually kept away from other commonly used options, as well

it takes effort to make that mistake

 

[MicShadow]

Anyway, mistakes aside, you may be able to restore the partition, rather than just recover data if you want to. Use a program called TestDisk, use it to fix the partition table and the filesystem. Only if you REALLY know what your doing though.

Its fixed my 500GB drive more times than I can count on hands

 

[Maz7006]

Like above try Ubuntu and foremost, works well, also download and install Recuva, its a windows app, it can recover deleted files on HDD's, plus good job you accidentally did the quick format, you'll hopefully be able to recover your files