I have a old XP and it did a restart-loop, I used my repair disc to add missing files to fix this problem like before, and didn't think it would start it all over!!! I definitely need my last science notes. I guess I must do data recovery. I'm going install EaseUS on my laptop and connect my HDD to my laptop, but one problem, when HDD is connected to my laptop & turned on it says it is a unrecognized filesystem and needs drivers for me to use it or to open it - and I must reformat it, a 2cd time! So this is my dilemma, will EaseUS just scan it & recover stuff and do its job anyhow, or should I reformat it and then let EaseUS get at it, or get the system right and accessible and then do data recovery?

personally I wouldn't use EaseUS , and instead try either partition find and mount or DMDE.

DMDE you can copy off files for free, the caveat being only copy files that are open in the right pane.. but if you only want some files, this is fine. Or, pay the 20 bucks or whatever it is and get a licensed copy. PFAM is similar, the limitation is copy speed. again if you only need a few files, no problems.
Other options are R-Studio and GetDataBack. R-Studio get a few more kudos for representatives being on this forum and actively asking how to improve, and also updating on new software features/bug fixes. GDB is very good software as well.

If possible, use DMDE to create an image of your hard disk, saving the image to a different disk, and performing DR on the image. It works the same way, but you don't run the risk of stuffing up your only existing copy of your DATA.

But the current problem is that when it was plugged into my laptop, it's unrecognizable, and as said it's not broken-only reformatted and works in xp, and unrecognizable to new computers...that's why at the end of my first post I said 3 options I have...which one is the answer?

Here, my 3 options I said
So this is my dilemma,
1. will it just scan it & recover stuff and do its job anyhow,
2. or should I reformat yet again it and then let the program get at it,
3. or get the system right and accessible and then do data recovery?

Ya?, you can clone it incase the first recovery fails? Won't that ruin the data if I copy it though?

Btw it's a newer Seagate HDD, but probably has its own retro filesystem and is unrecognizable, and formatted as said...

Ok, Just because you think there is 3 options.. does not mean really there are only 3 options.

You can clone/image your drive as many times as you like, and as long as there is no physical damage, you won't destroy data. Cloning/imaging is COPYING, not modifying or deleting.

Your 1,2,3:

1)I don't know, I don't use it, and as far as I am concerned it is not your best option.
2)You should not have formatted it in the first place, and DEFINATELY SHOULD NOT AGAIN>
3)No. Clone/image it and then do DR on that image. <-- here is your best option, and FREE... in case you missed it.


This doesn't make sense. "Retro" usually means old for a start. and in first post you said it is old XP, so filesystem is probably NTFS, is as common as windows itself. "a newer Seagate" means nothing. There is actually model numbers and dates on the drive label, so why not provide those?

And lastly a format has 2 options: quick & full. a full format takes a long time, a quick takes seconds. which was it? a full means bye-bye data...

Full format does not always mean bye bye data. I recall XP only does read verification during format.

Well,
A Data recovery Person should take just a few dollars for a logical recovery .Here in india its just USD 12 To 25

PS :
Best Bet Clone it to Another Drive And Play With that Drive if you Like it all Free

_________________
Regards
Amarbir S Dhillon , Chandigarh Data Recovery Labs [India]
Logical,Semi Physical And Physical Data Recovery
Website-> http://www.chandigarhdatarecovery.com

My xp only popped up one option - format and lose all doc/ect - then said formatting the sytem area - took about 15 mins

Will clone the numbers. Won't RE-re-format. And will clone my other last left backup drive.

So now.........do I download the drives/framework/ect to let the Data Recovery read it because clicking it says unknown system please format..........or let the Data Recovery just go into it?

Read my above reply today. Also, does the cloned HDD have to be the same HDD or only that it has the same/more storage?

Well,
First You clone your patient hdd to another one .Then you do not use your patient hdd but only the clone one for experiments .As far as i can see you will definately spoil something as you have zero experience

_________________
Regards
Amarbir S Dhillon , Chandigarh Data Recovery Labs [India]
Logical,Semi Physical And Physical Data Recovery
Website-> http://www.chandigarhdatarecovery.com

Ok but
do I download the drives/framework/ect to let the Data Recovery read it because clicking it says unknown system please format

or let the Data Recovery just go into it?



Also, does the cloned HDD have to be the same HDD or only that it has the same/more storage?

To clone the patient for another try, should the new hdd I'm buying be the exact same one, or just the same/more storage?

Please read carefully - my xp disk got formatted, it looks like its 1st day, when connected to my laptop, my laptop says (xp's) file-system is unrecognizable, you must reformat it. ***So before we do the plan discussed, I need to know - do I get the corresponding drives for DataRecovery to dig it, or will DR just dig anything?

I've sent you a PM. Will be glad to take a look.

_________________
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Instagram https://www.instagram.com/datarecovery_morde.pt/

The new hard drive that you put the image on can be anything with at least a few 100MB more space than your DR-Disk. Example if bad disk is 1TB, you should have 1.5TB new one.

DONT WORRY ABOUT WHAT WINDOWS TELLS YOU. Ignore it. even if it says reformat disk or whatever, don't worry. as long as you see the Disk in DMDE, that's all that matters.

DR in pictures: If a picture says a thousand words, here is 3,000

1. choose disk



2. choose to image it


3. choose destination


4. you now have an image file of your disk and all DR should be done on that Image file. in GetDataBack, choose "load image file"

the results of this will show how badly you stuffed up the disk. BTW, we have all stuffed up disks, so we definitely are not saying anything negative simply because you are currently inexperienced.

Oh, ok. So, DataRecovery will just dig it ok.

You mean it can't be the same HDD I bought before - storage space 2T - 2T? . . . Higher is needed?

I was gonna do a clone of the patient...clone is better..........???

not better, but just adds more complexity. you do not need to clone the disk, an image file is just fine, and IMHO much easier to work with. I also think it may be quicker to use an image file

I don't know what your original disk size is. Your image file will be the size of your XP disk, so as long as it fits, great. Remember you also need space on a good drive for any recovered files.

if you clone the disk, you now have 2 disks the same with issues. If you create an image file, you have a good disk with a file on it, and is still useful for other things.. don't make it any harder than it has to be!

It is a 2T drive, I'm gonna clone it, so will the new 2T hold the clone?



Also what ya all think about this discovery:

For one immortality way, Accelonics, which is to move fast to slow/stop aging, (particles won't move around), I have a great finding:

In vacuum.
1) If a metal block starts moving at the speed of a car and then contacts your back - your skull will crack.
2) If a metal block starts moving you slowly and then gets to the speed of a car - you will only get some g-force.
3) If a metal block starts moving you extra slowly and increases extra slowly to the speed of say a jet - you may have 0 g-force.
You can also be somewhat cold and will flatten less.
And as you speed up can then have yourself made colder possibly.

What if a file is hiding on an unallocated-by-the-OS sector? The image, unless it is sector-by-sector, will miss it.

_________________
On a clear disk you can seek forever.

well he is quite inexperienced, that's why I suggested this way, but if you want to run him through booting up with Linux, and a dd command line, etc, I am more than happy to agree that is better. But he also says he just wants a few files, so I think it would do in this case.

I'm out of town beginning today. My communication would not be timely.

_________________
On a clear disk you can seek forever.

Are you's saying above the imaging may miss something? Good thing I'm cloning...

Just gotta find the best free DataRecovery & cloning program, one day, there will be one free best program.