Need to recover lost files on slave HD

Windows XP SP2 Home Edition version 2002:
Woke up one morning to find Windows would no longer load, something about a damaged or missing hive file, in my haste I tried a Windows XP restore CD and may or may not have reformatted the HD, I installed a brand new 80 Gb HD as my master put Windows XP SP2 Home Edition on it, and made the original 30Gb HD my slave, checked it's Documents and Settings but files there's only recent files for "All Users" and a default file there. Can you recommend a free program I can try to recover lost data on the old HD? I have many documents in Microsoft Word that I need to recover. I'm a relative newbie at this so I need your best step by step advice on how to go about this, like where to down load the free program to, ie new HD CD or diskette, etc. Thank you for your patience and help.

 

Here ya go.... several free data recovery programs:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Ultimate_Data_Recovery_d5336.html
http://www.majorgeeks.com/TestDisk_&_PhotoRec_d5561.html
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Disk_Investigator_d1341.html
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Partition_Find_&_Mount_d5740.html
http://www.majorgeeks.com/TestDisk_d4803.html
http://www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/UK/welcome.htm (this one is probably the best bet, but it's also one of least friendly)

Good luck! I hope this helps!

[dlb]
:major

 

couple questions:
have you used any of the programs you suggested,
do i download them to my master hd or the slave hd which is the one i want to recover files from

 

Although I have never used any of the programs that dlb posted for you, I do know that they would all need to be run from your new master drive.
It is very important that you do not write ANYTHING to the damaged drive before attempting to recover files. If you do you may very well write over a file you want to recover.
Also be aware that data recovery programs do not always completely recover files.
Often a fairly large percentage of your files will either be irretrievably lost or corrupted.
But it does beat a balnk, as they say.

 

if i may have overwritten a new os on this hd, is it still possible to locate these files using one of these programs

 

even though there's noting on the 30 gb drive i clicked properties and noticed 2.3gb used i believe that's where the files are hidden, do you know where the instructions are to pc inspector i find it very user unfirendly

 

i saw some folders from 2003 but when i clicked on them they didn't make any sense, do you know where the instructions are to pc inspector

 

LOL You're not alone. For such a great free program, it sure is hard to use. It has fairly extensive built-in help files. Right when you run it, it will ask for your language; select appropriately. The next screen will have a big green question mark ? in the lower right corner; this is the link to the help file. I just checked out the PCInspector web site and the online 'manual' was worthless, seriously. It basically just said to use the built-in help files.

 

the built in help files you mentioned are worthless too, does anyone know how to use pcinspector?

 

do i need to have the exact version of apps, programs, etc, on the master as the slave drive in order to open these 'lost files' once i send them over to the master?