Question Files Lost During Windows 10 Installation - Any Way To Recover?

[MaxDC15]

I had Windows 7 earlier on my PC and installed Windows 10 earlier today since support for 7 was expiring on January 14. I have two hard drives, one on which the OS was installed. I had saved my files on the drive that did not have the OS. I did manage to save my most important files to an external drive but left the large ones back on the drive since I was short of time and storage space.

I was under the impression that since I was installing WIn 10 on the drive that had Win 7 on it, the other drive will still have the files saved on them. My bad. After the installation was over I found that none of the files on the other drive remained.

After doing a search for solutions I read about file recovery software. But there are quite a few of them and I don't know which one I should use. Obviously, none of the free versions(trails) will be sufficient enough to recover all the files.

Has someone used a file recovery software that is effective and economical enough? Please suggest.

 

[USAFRet]

How are you sure that the files on the second drive no longer exist?

What physical dries are in this system?
Please show us a screencap of your Disk Management window.

(and this is why we always strongly recommend only having the one relevant drive connected during any process like this.)

 

[MaxDC15]

"After the installation was over I found that none of the files on the other drive remained. " I think what I meant to say was that I am unable to recover them else it contradicts my subsequent query pertaining to the use of a file recovery software.

I guess I should have read up a bit more about the correct steps to take before rushing in for a Windows 10 installation.

Here is the screencap:

 

[MaxDC15]

Trying Recova Pro. Thanks for the help.

 

[USAFRet]

I see about 100GB consumed on the D partition.
Was there actually data on the E and F partitions?

 

[MaxDC15]

I used to save all my files on the non-OS disk, in one place. Work on a file saving on the go on the desktop and then move it to my storage space - that's how it worked. Nothing saved elsewhere on the computer except these two temporary and semi-permanent spaces.

I will try Recova Pro when I have time. But I did read somewhere that it doesn't retrieve 100% which is ok because I have all my most important files saved elsewhere. The only issue I see is arranging all the individual recovered files back into folders which I had created. That will take up a lot of time.

I'm also mulling sending the hard drive to a recovery specialist but I wonder whether they do something different other than using something better like Disk Drill or Stellar.

 

[fzabkar]

Disk Drill and Stellar are poorly regarded by the data recovery community.

Try DMDE (US$20). The free version can recover a limited number of files.

Can you show us DMDE's Partitions window?

 

[MaxDC15]

@fzabkar - DMDE must be good I'm sure but when I did a search earlier, I was getting a good package deal for less that includes Recuva and CCleaner.

Disk Drill and Stellar seem to have a good recovery rate compared to others as per multiple sites, but they are too expensive anyway to retrieve non-essential files. But then different individuals could have varying results, and bloggers can publish content according to their own opinion too.

So I decided that recovery at a low price seems more sensible even if not 100% at this time. Actually the deal clinched it for me even though it's the first time ever for me and hopefully the last time that I have to recover files.

Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Remeca]

Recuva worked for me before, although it took fiddling with the settings and running it a couple of times before it found the files I needed to recover.

 

[fzabkar]

https://www.disktuna.com/disk-drill-review-a-real-review-this-time/

https://www.disktuna.com/stellar-photo-recovery-put-to-the-test/

Companies who try to spam this forum (recoveryforce.com) and others:
https://www.recoveryforce.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=481

 

[MaxDC15]

As mentioned in my earlier post, I stumbled upon a package deal for a program that works out to be cheaper than others(even less than a figure quoted in a post above). Not inserting any links here because obviously I am not promoting anything as I can see a possible insinuation in one of the posts above.

Like the ubiquitous hosting discussions on the web that invariably go in the wrong direction, I had no idea that a request for data recovery suggestions could show signs of going the same way. Hence I am outta here.

At the same time thankful to Tom's Hardware forum team and community for always being there to help!

 

[Rogue Leader]

Thread closed at OP request