Initialized wrong disk without format. HELP!

[malice19]

Hi all

Cant believe i did it but some how i managed to initialize the wrong HDD.

I took out my backup HDD out of my USB caddy and connected up to my PC via SATA along with the new larger HDD that i was going to be copying all the DATA to but some how initialize both disks.

The backup drive will all the data on just says it needs to format before i can use it.
I have not formatted the disk so all data is on it but i have "F!*"£" the MBR on it me thinks.

Can any one recommend what i can do as in recover the MBR for the drive as it will take all day to have to try and recover all the data off the drive

Note to self! Go to bed when tired and not work on PC!

Livid

[malice19]

EASEUS Partition Recovery 5.0.1
Thanks to this smart bit of software it detected and recovered the deleted Partition in just minutes and has restored my backup HDD to normal working order. Magic!

Software is also free!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best free app i have ever found! Works better than any ones you have to pay for i have found and tested.

http://www.easeus.com/partition-recovery/download.htm

[peterb]

Depends what you actually did to initialise the disk. It also depends on the operating system you were using and filesystem you were using.

If you have wiped the partition table, then one of the many data recovery programs should be able to get it back for you - getdataback is one, or one of the offerings by runtimesoftware.

If the partition table is intact, then one of the programs mentioned will get the information back.

You might also see if you can examine the disk on a linux system and see if that can read it - or at least look at it in something like parted to see if the partition table is intact.

If the data is valuable, and you want to try recovery yourself, then make a logical clone of the disk to another - again a linux live CD will help - use the dd command and then work on the clone. That way if you mess up the recovery, you can always start again.

[peterb]

Ah - looks like you found the solution!

[malice19]

Does any one know of any good utility to backup the MBR for each drive?

Cheers

[blueball]

Google is your friend

[malice19]

Google is your friend

Yeah tried Google but just wondered if any one knows of a good App that they use for this?
As found ways of doing it but would be nice to find an App that does it in like a few mouse clicks.

[Joe of Loath]

I think photorec can do it? IDK, I haven't used it much.