How to Recover Files from a Formatted Hard Drive

Formatting a PC/Laptop is not a big deal for IT Support Technicians but when the issue turns out to be the other way and data stored in the hard disk drive are lost it becomes a problem. For some time now have been having some issue with my HP Compaq Mini which resulted to formatting the hard drive. Unfortunately for me the formatting process got stocked for hours at a particular point leaving me with no other option than to restart the formatting process. As a result of the reformatting my stored data was lost, which took me time to put together.

This is what really happened, I installed an antivirus which I don’t want to mention the name, but this is the second time it has malfunction when I install the same antivirus. My Compaq Mini becomes so slow that it takes up to three (3) minutes to respond each time I mouse click or do something else. Finally it got stuck to a point where even mouse clicking is of no effect. The only option was to force shutdown and format the system after going through some IT professional instructions about the mini system.

Installation started and got stuck for hours on windows completion screen, after waiting for 3 to 4 hours for it to move pass the screen and show setting up the desktop for the first use. So I took off the CD and put it back thinking maybe it was skipping some files but instead it started a fresh installation and when I click custom option a prompt came up which says the hard drive is corrupt I must first format it before another installation can be made. From the dialogue box there was no back, cancel or exit button option. To cut the whole story short I use command prompt to check the space available in that drive and it was totally free as no OS was installed.

So I got a Window 7 Ultimate disk ready and shutdown the system, when turning on the mini I inserted the disk as a due procedure for format and immediately on the black screen showing F9 and F10 option and quickly press the F9 button to select boot option from CD/DVD. Don’t get confuse how if you’re using Compaq Mini too cause I use an external DVD drive for the whole process. As soon as the installation windows came I click install and choose the custom option for it to create a window old of the previous OS.

Steps To Follow To Get Your Formatted Hard Drive Files Back:

• Download and install Piriform Recuva Software.

• once it is installed open the application and check the deep search mode.
• Select the file type you are sorting for in your formatted hard drive.

• Click on Next to continue.
• How it to locate the deleted files from your drive.
• When the recovery is complete click on recover on the next screen.

• Please remember just before you click the recovery button  that files can be damaged if recovered to the same hard drive. So I strongly advice you to use another Hard Drive for the Recovery.
• Select the files by checking the boxes of the what you want recovered.
• Create a folder in the location (Hard Drive)for the recovery.
• Finally click on recover.