How can I recover data from a formatted hard disk?

[ASR85]

Hello,
I've formatted the entire hard disk (IDE) of my desktop accidentally while trying to update the OS. A laptop is available to me for a few days, can I recover the data from my desktop hard disk using a laptop? what are the things i may need?
Please help....
thank you in advance...

 

[mironso]

You have similar thread here: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-1642305/recover-data-raw-hard-disk.html, check for Silvialoolo's answer.
Hope this helps.

 

[ASR85]

You have similar thread here: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-1642305/recover-data-raw-hard-disk.html, check for Silvialoolo's answer.
Hope this helps.

Thank you so much. I think it's more than that... I had linux mint 12 OS on my hard disk, I was trying to update it to linux mint 16, now the laptop i've has windows. Can I still recover my data?
Please tell me how can I connect that hard disk t laptop?

 

[gameboy1998]

You were running linux so it is probably EXT3 file system, see if the software supports EXT3

 

[ASR85]

You were running linux so it is probably EXT3 file system, see if the software supports EXT3

Thank you. the software from that link is iCare data recovery software, it mentions FAT and NTFS file systems, it also says "Correctly recovers files deleted in Windows NT, 2000, XP (FAT32)".!! Can you please suggest what should I do?

 

[gameboy1998]

I don't know which software is good otherwise I would have suggested one, Your best bet is to google "EXT3 DATA RECOVERY". It should get you somewhere.

 

[ASR85]

I don't know which software is good otherwise I would have suggested one, Your best bet is to google "EXT3 DATA RECOVERY". It should get you somewhere.

Thanks again! did it and found a software. will try and let you know the results... thank you.

 

[ASR85]

My laptop is not detecting the hard disk! I tried connecting the hard disk with an USB SATA/IDE cable. I could hear a sound from hard disk while connecting it.
Am I doing any mistake? What I should do? Please suggest..

I've read in other thread about using hard disk enclosures/casing but I couldn't find one in my town.

 

[gameboy1998]

If your laptop is running Windows, then it is because Windows doesn't support EXT3 file system.

 

[ASR85]

If your laptop is running Windows, then it is because Windows doesn't support EXT3 file system.

So, I need Linux on this laptop? This is my friend's laptop and I've already messed up things while installing Linux on my PC, now I can't take such a risk.
Could there be a mistake in connecting the hard disk? any restart, trying 'add device' etc. needed? If what I did was right there seems no hope...
Thank you so much for your guidance.

 

[gameboy1998]

You can access EXT3 from windows by using third party softwares, I recommend Ext2Fsd (http://www.ext2fsd.com/)

You can try live booting linux from USB or a CD.

 

[ASR85]

You can access EXT3 from windows by using third party softwares, I recommend Ext2Fsd (http://www.ext2fsd.com/)

You can try live booting linux from USB or a CD.

Trying Ext2Fsd...

 

[ASR85]

You can access EXT3 from windows by using third party softwares, I recommend Ext2Fsd (http://www.ext2fsd.com/)

You can try live booting linux from USB or a CD.

I tried both, Ext2Fsd is also not detecting and I have USB with linux mint 16, (the one I earlier tried to install) tried that too with no use. Could there be any fault with the USB SATA/IDE cable?

 

[gameboy1998]

There maybe some fault in the cable.

Is there anything important that drive, If no I think this is a good time to give up (I don't know much more)

 

[ASR85]

There maybe some fault in the cable.

Is there anything important that drive, If no I think this is a good time to give up (I don't know much more)

So many pictures and documents were there. Can you please tell me how to connect the hard disk to laptop, I would like to give one last try and I think probably i'm not connecting it properly.

 

[gameboy1998]

To see if you have connected it properly go to Disk Management in Windows 7/8/8.1 (google if you don't know how to go there) & see if your drive shows up.

 

[ASR85]

To see if you have connected it properly go to Disk Management in Windows 7/8/8.1 (google if you don't know how to go there) & see if your drive shows up.

No, it didn't show. That means there is a problem in connecting it, right?

 

[gameboy1998]

Ya!

 

[ASR85]

Ya!

I've just connected it to another pc and it got detected. But I can't use that PC for long. I'm sure there is a problem with the cable.
My sincere thanks to you for answering all my queries patiently. I'll try changing cable or try to find another pc which I can use for some time.