Need Help to Recover my NTFS partition

[Guest]

Hi,

I've installed some linux in the past (Mandrake & Suse). On those distributions,
the installtion process allow me to non-destructively resize my partition just like how partitition-magic work, to make space for the linux.

Today I've tried Kubuntu on my PC. And, very unfortunately, I falsely expect it to work just like in my past experience with other distros. I try to change my HD partition size during the installation process..and doom. I've lost my data. Kubuntu installtion program report that my ntfs is now become ext3. Even worse, the process do not completely finished. There are some error report about filesystem (I've forgot what it is) I quickly cancel the whole installation process and restart back to my windows xp (which is reside on an untouched partition) But the partitioned-drive that I've tried to resize is now lost. The drive is no longer there in windows xp.

I can see the warning from kubuntu during installtion that changing partition information is not a reversible action. But I cannot see any mention about lossing my data. I'm very wrong about the kubutu behavior.

Now what can I do to recover my data ? I'm now having an ntfs partition that was incompletely converted to ext3 that is no longer visible on windows system. The partition contain many important information that I'm willing to do anything I can to recover it.

Please help.

[dibl]

Re: Need Help to Recover my NTFS partition

I quickly cancel the whole installation process

But your finger is not as fast as a computer!

This is very bad -- I'm sorry. I'm afraid your only hope is a professional data recovery service. There is no user-friendly way to "undo" a filesystem format on the media.

http://www.ontrackdatarecovery.com/

http://www.salvagedata.com/

http://www.adrc.net/

http://www.atl-datarecovery.com/

[Qqmike]

Re: Need Help to Recover my NTFS partition

Go for broke, take the chance that you can get some of it back.

Try TestDisk (to restore your partitions the way they were) and/or PhotoRec as needed to recover data files (documents, photos, movies, spreadsheets, etc.).

Here's an overview in my how-to:

RESCUE Partitions & Data
Data Rescue Links & Comments & Tips
TestDisk -- PhotoRec -- Knoppix (or other Live CDs)
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3091847.0

You must be patient.
=>=>=> Do NOT touch your hard drive(s) that are damaged!!!!!
Use a Live CD to do this work (e.g., GParted Live CD or System Rescue Live CD).
See the TestDisk site for links under live CD.

Read the TestDisk site instructions very carefully. They are well written.
I have been successful doing what you need to do, BUT it's a crap-shoot and depends on your ability to "work" the TestDisk program correctly.

Please post further questions back here on the forum (not under the how-to -- thanks).

I am NOT any expert on anything -- you're kinda on your own, but if you get some crazy stuff going on, maybe WE all here can lend some nudges and ideas.
Don't despair <yet>.