Windows 10: External Hard drive formatted / deleted while installing windows 10

OK. If there is already a new Partition, I am afraid that you will not be able to recover any data.
But before you go ahead with recovery, I would try first to connect the HDD to other PC with other OS, not W10.
Also, in case you want to recover, I would do it in other OS than W10.
From what I am seeing , the common of all the problems are USB Hdd´s, Windows 10 and it results in unrecognized FS (File System).
My thinking is, if indeed there is a problem with W10 not handling properly external USB Devices, then any attempt to further working on the Device will likely result in Lost of Data, there are no Magics or the like here. That was happening to me, I tried to fix it and Data was gone.
That is my own opinion.

 

You are right, thats what happen with my external hard drive. Its now showing on 32GB FAT 32 and rest is unallocated.
Based on my reading,
I should try to recover the formatted data from unallocated space on 1TB external hard drive.
Once I recover all data, I can recover partition.
Am I Right ???

 

Please re-read posts 20 and 27 by @Slartybart. Based on his extensive experience, he recommends recovering your partitions first, then your data. If you decide to go that route, I'm sure he will be more than happy to walk you through the steps.

 

Almost ...

Hopefully the partition recovery will bring most of your data back without having to resort to data recovery.

Partitions are defined by where they start and where they stop
Data is scattered around on a partition in bits which point to the next bit

PW allows you to test the scenario recovery and even explore the files before you apply the changes.

Whatever magic PW does is very cool - when the partition is recovered, files that have not been overwritten are where they were before. Because you wrote to the drive, some files will be garbage (old pointers reference the new bits)

I don't know of any recovery software that can fix that - the bit is no longer part of the original file, it's part of the file that overwrote the original.

There's a key message in this - do NOT muck around too much with the drive. The more data written to it, more original files get overwritten. That's why data recovery tells you to write the recovered files to another drive. Partition recovery is different - it's telling the file system where the partitions are and then traces the file bit pointers to reconstruct the file table.

 

This is what happened to me after 1607 Install.......I decided not to wait and go ahead and Clone my OS "C" Drive w the Upgraded OS etc. on it. So I turned on my External 2TB Fantom USB 3 but I noticed that it's wee blue light seemed to be blinking MUCH longer than usual.....it sure was.....IF left on it goes into eternal blink mode.
OK - with Ext. HDD OFF when I open Disk Management: I SEE my two interior HD's NTFS Healthy! OK - Turn ON Ext. HDD - Disk Management shows NOTHING!
IF I open This PC - even with Ext. HDD ON, I see ALL 3 drives and BOTH Partitions of the ext. drive.........but a blue bar is running across the "address" bar above as the blue light blinks on..........BTW - when this 1st started, I noticed an Icon on Task Bar I had never seen before and it was telling me that W10 was SettingUp a Device [forever it appears now].
This might tell u who are in da know something that might help..... I tried turning the PC OFF, turning the Ext. HDD ON, start PC UP, the Boot Up is interrupted/stopped by the symbol for BUSY [circle going around] in center of the screen.......then Turn OFF Ext. HDD - the Boot Up of the W10 OS continues to completion.
I hope/pray for a solution for us ALL!
TKS michael

 

Hi Guys,

Exactly having the same issue.

I just wanted to create bootable device and i never thought USB Drive was same as WD My Passport Ultra.

Anyhow, i lost all my 1 TB Files.

I tried, EaseUs, Recuva and Get Data - Recover My Files (still scanning on).

Will Partition Recovery Works? as suggested from your end ?

 

Hi everybody!

I'm sorry if my english isn't good enough (i'm spanish *Smile). I've got the same problem that Sam and djlevan *Sad:


I've just bought minitools partition wizard and it's right now analyzing it (full scan): could you recover anything?

Thank you very much for your help, i'm really sad *cry....

 

Hi aPocope,
This thread unfortunately was left hanging for a longtime.
Never mind. Please let me know whether you are still looking for a solution to recover the data if possible.
From a very quick read through, I understand you have also accidently formatted your drive.

Is it the same 32GB partition and rest unallocated as the original OP's post #1?

I see my long-back associate in the Seven Forums Slartybart had recommended running Partition Recovery Wizard in an effort to recover the partition.

If you had only one single volume earlier, then running Partition Recovery Wizard is a futile exercise. If you had more than one partition then perhaps PW may find the second, third and fourth ...... partitions.

Let me know what happened to your Full Scan and also whether you are still on this thread waiting for a resolution. Then we will see what best can be done to recover the partition and if that is not possible to recover the data in some form or other.

 

Hi jumanji!

Thank you very much to be there *Smile , that's very kind of you!

I've been lucky and recovered everything *Smile. It was the same Sam's problem.

I had initially 2 partitions: the first one of 100gb for my Samsung smart tv (to record tv programs) and the second one of 600gb for my pictures, movies, etc. I supposed I've been lucky to have the hdd partitioned like that, as probably the new 32gb partition was placed on the first one.

After the full scan everything appeared on my hdd and could copy it to my laptop.

Of course, I've been very lucky to meet you (thank you very much Slartybart, for your brilliant suggestion to Sam), and thank you very much to you, jumanji, for your interest.

Ah! Minitools support team recommended me to use data recovery instead, but I preferred to use partition recovery as Slartybart said.

Best regards from Spain *Wink

 

Hi all I have the same problem on my external hdd, I try to make usb windows 10 setup and he erese all my files, on hdd is just one partition 32gb. Please help me. I dont have experience to recovery my files. Thank you sorry on my english I am from Germany

 

Same with me.. *Sad