Recover files from formatted partition
My external HDD suddenly decided that it doesn't want to mount one of the partitions anymore. When trying to open under Windows, I got "corrupted partition. Can't open" type of error. So I just formatted that dude, but it would be nice to recover some files.
I tried with R-Linux GUI software and was unsuccessful - could not read any deleted files. Then decided to try the good old TestDisk in the terminal. I go to Advanced Filesystem Utils and then for the selected partition I choose Undelete but cannot find any deleted files.
I haven't installed any OS on top of that drive after it has been formatted. Not even a single .txt file has been copied to the drive after the formatting.
Is the recovery of any files doomed? Do you have any magical suggestions?
P.S. I formatted the partition from Windows, and the partition itself is NTFS.
Probably you are not doomed, not yet!
Not until you will try all the method known to restore your data!
Since you said you have done a "Quick format", the procedure
leaves all your data in place and makes the drive appear to be empty. [1]
Probably you can try easily Photorec since you have just installed testdisk.
If the HDD had physical damages and you have enough space elsewhere you can do a raw copy with ddrescue (not dd_rescue) and then work on that one in order to minimize the possibility to brick your HDD.
References:
- How to format a hard drive in Windows...
- On "Forensics Wiki"
- On "What's the difference between ddrescue, gddrescue, and dd_rescue?"
- On internet "LINUX - dd_rescue VS ddrescue (gddrescue BEST)"
- Another answer applicable.