Data Recovery

Hopefully someone can help me in recovering some important files. I am already well aware that all files should be saved in at least two separate locations. Unfortunately, I waited too long to do that with some work files.

Anyways, in short; I was using a flash drive on my personal Lenono laptop. In October, I was using that same flash drive at work on Macs. I did not understand the importance of properly ejecting flash drives at that time. One time at work the flash drive showed only some files and folders and since that time it has not displayed any files or folders and it prompts me to format my flash drive. I sent the flash drive in to a company called Flash Drive Pros and after a month of trying different things, they were unable to recover any data. The Sandisk Cruzer 32 GB drive does light up but again it only prompts to be formatted and does not display any files or folders.

I have also tried a variety of data recovery programs and none of them seem to find any of this important data.

After doing some more research, one website suggested reformatting and then using data recovery programs. I now wish I had not done that but that is now in the past. I did a regular FAT32 format and recovery programs still did not see any data, even though they claim to see files after a reformat. After restarting my computer, the flash drive stated to prompt me to format it yet again. I then did a quick FAT32 format so other recovery programs could see the drive but they did not recover anything either.

I understand data recovery can be extremely expensive and I cannot afford a lot of money as I am a special education teacher who makes a modest income. However, basically all of my important work files from over the years are on this drive.

One more idea is I did have most of these files on my Lenovo. However, instead of copying and pasting into my flash drive, I cut and paste. While I do not believe I added a lot of files to my laptop since that time, I still am unable to find a recovery program that can find those files. However, when I type a file name in the search box, my laptop does seem to realize that those files were there but are now currently inaccessible. Maybe I opened those files on my laptop at one point.

Anyways, I have tried about 15 different data recovery programs and spent many stressful hours trying to research ways to recover my data without spending a ton of money. Any insight or suggestions on how to accomplish this will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Joe

 

Thank you for the insight. I forgot to add that at work, someone created an image of the flash drive and saved it on my desktop at work. However, they were unable to mount it. I do not understand a lot of stuff like this, but perhaps that info is helpful.

I used the flash drive for years so maybe it just wore out over time, or it just couldn't handle going back and forth between pcs and macs.

I will try the Linux CD for my flash drive.

Does anyone know more information about trying to recover the files I cut (and paste) from my laptop? Those files must still be on here somewhere.

 

Was the image created before or after you formatted your flash drive. And, do you know what the files extension of the image file is? If you run into a similar problem down the road, just remember to never format the drive or try writing to it.

You could try MiniTools Power Data Recovery but as plodr said, after 2 formats your chances are slim and none.

http://www.powerdatarecovery.com/fr.../how-to-recover-photos-from-memory-stick.html

 

The image was created before I reformatted. The file type is dmg. I saw people suggesting that mini tools program so already gave that a try. I am starting to believe there is something physically wrong with the flash drive as none of the recovery programs see any files and because after I reformatted, it prompted me to format again after restart. Someone just informed me that the cut files from my laptop are almost certainly gone forever.

 

That dmg file was created using a MAC. If you know somebody with a MAC, they may be able to retrieve all of your files.

Edit: These Windows programs can open DMG files. I would copy the DMG file you have on your desktop and use that to work on. Leave the original alone.

http://www.magiciso.com/download.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how_6046282_can-read-dmg-files-windows_.html


7zip Freeware may also open this.

http://www.7-zip.org/

 

I will try those links to open a copy of the DMG file on a PC. I will also try a Linux CD on my laptop to see what is viewable on my flash drive.

I should note that the DMG image was created after the flash drive started prompting it to be formatted, so I am unsure if the image will even help. My co-worker said he was unable to mount that image. I will still try those options mentioned, however.

 

I drove in to work to copy the image file onto a different flash drive and brought it home. At first it seemed somewhat promising but now I am unsure. In 7 Zip File Manager, I opened the image file. In 7 Zip the file is named 0.unknown partition. The size is 32 031 866 368 and the packet size is 142 597 919 and the comment says whole disk (unknown partition: 0) and method says zlib[122192]-29G-135M.

I had the image file on my desktop but received an error from 7-zip after awhile stating: can not open file 'c:\users\joe\appdata\local\temp\7zO2330.tmp\0.unknown partition' as archive

 

I also tried Magiciso and in that program I tried to open the image file and receive an error; cant find the file or file isnt cd image file.

 

7 Zip was able to open the file Sandisk Cruzer Media.dmg and when opened all that shows is a file named 0.unknown partition. size is 32 031 866 368 and packed size is 142 597 919 and comment says whole disk (unknown partition: 0) and method says zlib[122192]129G-135M

Once I get the 0.unknown partition file, I do not know what to do.

 

Were you able to open the file with Ultraiso? If that does not work, I would have to say that the file is somehow corrupted especially because your co-worker who has a MAC could not mount it.

I found this program that will convert the dmg file to an iso file but I do hold out much hope at this point. After it convert try to open the iso file in magic iso.

http://www.addictivetips.com/mac-os...mg-file-to-iso-bin-and-img-with-dmgextractor/

 

OK, I just tried Ultroiso and when I use that program to try and open the DMG file, I get the error, "invalid or unknown image file format!"

It sounds like the ideas to try and recover this important data are close to being exhausted. :-(

I actual flash drive already seemed like a long shot after one data recovery company was unsuccessful and with my 2 formats I understand that avenue is unlikely. The DMG file seems corrupted since none of those programs worked. it also sounds like it is extremely difficult if not impossible to recover the files which were "cut" from my laptop through a cut/paste.

If anyone thinks of any other suggestions or ideas, I will definitely welcome them. Even though this has been unsuccessful up to this point, I want to thank those of you who have provided ideas to try.

 

Ultraiso and Magiciso both had errors when I tried to use them.

My head hurts trying to figure out how to open DMGextractor. I downloaded a folder full of other folders and files, but i cannot find an exe file or whatever to try it.

 

You have to have Java installed and the file you download is one small file that you double click. Download here.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/cat....70/dmgextractor-0_70-standalone.jar/download

 

I installed Java and then the DMG extractor program. There were no errors converting DMG to iso but the iso programs still had errors when I tried to open the iso file.

I noticed when I typed a search into my laptop, that my laptop is aware that I had a folder with the destination C:\users\JOE\Desktop\Files\WORK

This is a folder I cut and paste to my flash drive that is no longer working. I baffles me there appears to be no way to recover that folder and its files from my laptop.

The DMG file, I guess that does not surprise me as much because the image was taken after the flash drive started to have issues and prompt for me to format the drive.

Some of the files are just inconvenient to lose, but others are a significant loss. I should have known better and backed things up, but this situation is still so frustrating.

 

With the amount of time that has passed, I doubt you could recover a good file off of your hard drive that was in the work folder. The very fact that your hard drive is being written to lessens the chance for recovery. Download the portable version of recuva to another computer and unzip the files to a flash drive. Connect the flash drive to your computer and have it scan your hard drive to see if it can recover any files. May sure you only recover to the flash drive and not back to the hard drive or the files could be corrupted.


http://majorgeeks.com/Recuva_Portable_d5514.html

 

I already had the regular version of Recuva on my laptop so after seeing your post, I went through and saved most excellent condition files. Most files had strange file names so I did not know what most files were until I recovered them. I know the general file size for the files I am looking for, so I pretty much saved all files from 20 to 100 kb, as that is the range for the important pdfs I was looking for. With all of the temp files in there, it will take countless hours to sort through everything, so I had to prioritize a little. No luck but at least another attempt was made.