Formatted my Firestore too early.... at DVinfo.net

Joel Dennis · December 17th, 2006, 01:38 PM

I formatted it before I downloaded my footage! Is there any way to recover that? Bonehead move on my part.....

Denis Danatzko · December 17th, 2006, 01:57 PM

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but...formatting destroys the directory (and I'm pretty sure the boundaries of all existing partitiions). While it's possible that some or maybe all of the footage may be there, i.e. the 1s and 0s that make up the digital values - and may be relatively intact, it could now be scattered among the addresses of the new partition(s). There would be no information in the directory for any software to know what address to go to to find the file footage. While it's possible the FBI, CIA or other high-tech/high-priced orgs may be able to salvage some of it, I think you're totally out of luck.

Simple analogy: your house address is currently number 5 main street, and that is where all your mail is delivered. If your town or county came along and renamed your street to oak street, and ran the house numbers in the opposite direction, you could then be number 255 oak street, but the postal service would be looking to deliver your mail to 5 main street, hence it would be undeliverable. The effect of reformatting is similar to the renaming of your street and the re-numbering of the houses.

Dan Keaton · December 17th, 2006, 02:31 PM

When your Firststore is connected to your computer, it is just another disk drive.

Generally, when you format something you should consider it gone forever.

However, If you do not attempt to record anything else, some of the disk recovery software may be able to recover you data.

I must stress that the "Unformat" software requires that you do not write anything else to the disk!

I will search for some software. I do not know if it still exists.

Dan Keaton · December 17th, 2006, 02:51 PM

I believe that the Firestore uses a Fat32 disk volume.

You can do a google search for unformat.

MS DOS 6.22 had an unformat command. But this will probably not help.

The following link for unformat software may help:

http://www.newfreedownloads.com/Wind...-Recovery.html

I will post some more, as I continue my search.

Dan Keaton · December 17th, 2006, 02:56 PM

Here is another software tool:

http://www.quetek.com/prod02.htm?source=google15

Remember, do not record anything on your firestore until you recover your data.

Please feel free to email me privately.

Yossi Margolin · December 17th, 2006, 02:58 PM

I've used this program successfully on more than one occasion:

http://www.runtime.org/gdb.htm

Dan Keaton · December 17th, 2006, 03:05 PM

Dear Joel,

I have sent you a private email with my phone numbers.

Feel free to call me. I will be happy to assist with your problem.

Ronald Lee · December 18th, 2006, 05:02 PM

HI Joel,

Try using R-Studio. It's saved my ass a few times. Your firestore will be read as an external drive, so it should work to recover whatever it can find on your drive. Did you do a regular or quick format (or is there an option for these things?).

Let us know what happens.

ron

Jad Meouchy · January 15th, 2007, 11:12 AM

No, your data is not gone unless you have overwritten it, used a hard drive shredder program, or performed something similar to a low-level format. Try some of the tools that people have suggested, but do not give up! Basically you want to rebuild the file allocation table by scanning through the disk raw data and looking for file signatures. There are many programs that can do this. In any case, you will probably need to get the hard drive out of the firestore and connect it to a computer. Unless you can get low level access through firewire port?

December 17th, 2006, 01:38 PM	#1
Joel Dennis New Boot Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Minot, United States Posts: 11	Formatted my Firestore too early.... I formatted it before I downloaded my footage! Is there any way to recover that? Bonehead move on my part.....

December 17th, 2006, 01:57 PM	#2
Denis Danatzko Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: NYC Metro area Posts: 579	I don't think so. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but...formatting destroys the directory (and I'm pretty sure the boundaries of all existing partitiions). While it's possible that some or maybe all of the footage may be there, i.e. the 1s and 0s that make up the digital values - and may be relatively intact, it could now be scattered among the addresses of the new partition(s). There would be no information in the directory for any software to know what address to go to to find the file footage. While it's possible the FBI, CIA or other high-tech/high-priced orgs may be able to salvage some of it, I think you're totally out of luck. Simple analogy: your house address is currently number 5 main street, and that is where all your mail is delivered. If your town or county came along and renamed your street to oak street, and ran the house numbers in the opposite direction, you could then be number 255 oak street, but the postal service would be looking to deliver your mail to 5 main street, hence it would be undeliverable. The effect of reformatting is similar to the renaming of your street and the re-numbering of the houses. __________________ Denis ------------ Our actions are based on our own experience and knowledge. Thus, no one is ever totally right, nor totally wrong. We simply act from what we "know" to be true, based on that experience and knowledge. Beyond that, we pose questions to others.

December 17th, 2006, 02:31 PM	#3
Dan Keaton Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Augusta Georgia Posts: 5,421	When your Firststore is connected to your computer, it is just another disk drive. Generally, when you format something you should consider it gone forever. However, If you do not attempt to record anything else, some of the disk recovery software may be able to recover you data. I must stress that the "Unformat" software requires that you do not write anything else to the disk! I will search for some software. I do not know if it still exists. __________________ Dan Keaton Augusta Georgia

December 17th, 2006, 02:51 PM	#4
Dan Keaton Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Augusta Georgia Posts: 5,421	I believe that the Firestore uses a Fat32 disk volume. You can do a google search for unformat. MS DOS 6.22 had an unformat command. But this will probably not help. The following link for unformat software may help: http://www.newfreedownloads.com/Wind...-Recovery.html I will post some more, as I continue my search. __________________ Dan Keaton Augusta Georgia

December 17th, 2006, 02:56 PM	#5
Dan Keaton Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Augusta Georgia Posts: 5,421	Here is another software tool: http://www.quetek.com/prod02.htm?source=google15 Remember, do not record anything on your firestore until you recover your data. Please feel free to email me privately. __________________ Dan Keaton Augusta Georgia

December 17th, 2006, 02:58 PM	#6
Yossi Margolin Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 85	Use GetDataBack I've used this program successfully on more than one occasion: http://www.runtime.org/gdb.htm

December 17th, 2006, 03:05 PM	#7
Dan Keaton Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Augusta Georgia Posts: 5,421	Dear Joel, I have sent you a private email with my phone numbers. Feel free to call me. I will be happy to assist with your problem. __________________ Dan Keaton Augusta Georgia

December 18th, 2006, 05:02 PM	#8
Ronald Lee Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 435	HI Joel, Try using R-Studio. It's saved my ass a few times. Your firestore will be read as an external drive, so it should work to recover whatever it can find on your drive. Did you do a regular or quick format (or is there an option for these things?). Let us know what happens. ron

January 15th, 2007, 11:12 AM	#9
Jad Meouchy Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 663	No, your data is not gone unless you have overwritten it, used a hard drive shredder program, or performed something similar to a low-level format. Try some of the tools that people have suggested, but do not give up! Basically you want to rebuild the file allocation table by scanning through the disk raw data and looking for file signatures. There are many programs that can do this. In any case, you will probably need to get the hard drive out of the firestore and connect it to a computer. Unless you can get low level access through firewire port?