"chkdsk /f" erased external drive?

[nedbrainard]

I received an error message while running ubuntu linux with attached external drive that said to connect the external to a Windows pc and run chkdsk /f. I did so and when I looked at the external drive afterward it was empty - nearly all 1 TB of files apparently gone. WTF!! Can I recover those files? How?

 

[ahnilated]

I don't know why you would get an error to run chkdsk in Windows. Linux has commands to check a drive for errors as well as programs that will do that. Did Chkdsk find/report any problems?

 

[nedbrainard]

I don't know why you would get an error to run chkdsk in Windows. Linux has commands to check a drive for errors as well as programs that will do that. Did Chkdsk find/report any problems?

The external was formatted as ntfs and I understand Linux ubuntu either does not or does not recommend checking disks formatted in that way. (edit: I should say that I checked the file system with disk analyzer on ubuntu and it said to go to windows ....) Anyway, it has happened also on another external I have; not certain if that one is ntfs also or FAT - same error message received when checking the file system with instructions to attach to a Windows pc and run "chkdsk /f".

If I recall, it said errors were found and fixed. But then, nothing on the drive when it was checked.