[SOLVED] Restore files after format?

[DragonSlayer77]

I've used new Microsoft tool for crating bootable usb flash.
I don't even know why the f they say choose backup location or smth like that. (Obviously it was not the case).
I've chosen my hard drive partition. I thought I need to choose backup location.
Now my hard drive has 32gb formatted with windows and hidden unknown 2.7tb of my files.
I can't even believe i destroy all my files.
I'm currently using photorec and coping files to external drive, but it will take ages and filenames are gone.
Is there any way to recover formatted files with filenames, folder structure on that harddrive?
Please halp

 

[Lafong]

What was your original intent with the bootable USB flash drive using the Microsoft tool?

If you were trying to install Windows, you'd normally delete ALL partitions after booting from the USB flash drive and then let the installer format several partitions as it saw fit. I don't recall anything about a "backup location" during that process.

Apparently you did something else.

Maybe you had no intention of reinstalling Windows?

 

[DragonSlayer77]

I was going to create usb flash with windows to install on other pc.
This situation is so terrible I can't even believe this happened to me.

 

[mdd1963]

It sounds as though you pointed the Media Creation Tool (assuming that's what was used to try to create bootable media?)to the OS drive instead of to the USB flash drive?

If so, ....ouch. (If data is needed from it, possibly that drive moved to another computer and running a data recovery tool such as Recuva might allow retrieval of some of what was there before it was quick formatted from NTFS /3 TB to FAT32. If nothing is required from it, you can start with a fresh install .....(after running the media creation tool on yet another PC, this time pointing the tool to the connected USB flash drive you intend to format/'data destroy ' in the process)

 

[DragonSlayer77]

Not os drive but one of drives with 2.5-2.7tb of files.

 

[USAFRet]

Using the MediaCreation tool to build a bootable Win 10 install warns you at least twice that it WILL wipe on all data on the drive in question.

Once at the MS site: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
"A blank USB flash drive with at least 8GB of space or blank DVD (and DVD burner) if you want to create media. We recommend using a blank USB or blank DVD, because any content on it will be deleted."

And then again when you select the drive to use.


Also, this is where an actual backup of your data comes into play.