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I have a situation.

I got married 6 months ago and stored some very important pictures on my laptop which was running Linux. Later I formatted the whole hard drive, installed Windows and a hacked version of Mac (just to play around) and I have been using the laptop for last 8 months or so after that.

Is there any software that can recover the files for me? I am happy to pay money!

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    8 months' worth of data (and two OSes) writing over your previous Linux installation? If that's the case, I'm afraid that the chances for recovery aren't high.
    – Jin
    Commented Sep 26, 2011 at 9:42
  • what if it had been 4 months ?
    – anonymous
    Commented Sep 26, 2011 at 9:48
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    It doesn't really matter now since you've wiped your disk for three times. Well, better back up next time before playing around with other OSes :)
    – Jin
    Commented Sep 26, 2011 at 9:50
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    Seriously though, how would you think there was any way to recover this? You do have read the warnings during formatting? You know, the ones about permanently erasing data?
    – slhck
    Commented Sep 26, 2011 at 9:50

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3 formats? if they're a quick format, maybe- but it seems unlikely. If even one was a full format, forget about it, its not possible. I'd probably give testdisk a whirl , but practically speaking any method of recovery would involve a blue phone box and a slightly insane two hearted alien traveller.

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  • there must be a way :(
    – anonymous
    Commented Sep 26, 2011 at 9:51
  • Nope, not on this earth. Especially if you've used the laptop for almost a year.
    – slhck
    Commented Sep 26, 2011 at 10:18
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    Let me put it this way. Any sector (that is to say, one block of data) that has been written on won't be recoverable. Every single bit of data reduces the chance of recovery. Considering the time scales involved and the number of formats, its HIGHLY unlikely - you could give a few file level recovery apps a try, but realistically I wouldn't take a recovery job on those odds.
    – Journeyman Geek ♦
    Commented Sep 26, 2011 at 10:47
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    The Blinovitch Limitation Effect over a LapLink cable might be spectacular to witness; but not at close range.
    – JdeBP
    Commented Sep 26, 2011 at 11:57
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Hope I have ever read this earlier. Days ago another one asked the similar questions. Thus he formatted twice for his hard drive and get 20% file back finally.

I list some of my opinions:

Format the hard drive again and again will affect the success rate of recovery. You don’t know how much you can get until you try, 20% or less, who knows? Just try.

Please note:

Format recovery is really easy for some recovery tools. Normally we will get most of the files back as the “data” has not been destroyed, with the proper tool. Format again will destroy the data structure directly so you may not get the files back (no matter what recovery tool.)

After formatting the hard disk, please DO NOT save new files into the device, or will cause the data overwritten --- this is also the reason why we can’t recover the files back.

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