# Windoze has failed me yet again :(



## jellybellys (Apr 3, 2012)

So I was installing Ubuntu on my extra hard drive for development... but it all went wrong.
I knew this hard drive was supposed to be empty, it even showed as unpartitioned space in gparted. I found this one out the hard way though. Even though I thought it was empty, it was actually the hard drive that had everything on it except the windows boot manager







.
Sh*t. What do I do now? My life was on that hard drive?!?!?!?


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## Gman (Sep 4, 2011)

I know unless you did some pretty in depth format, the data is still there and should be recoverable. You might be able to download software to recover the data. 
EASUS LINK
Virtual Lab
Disk Drill
Data LifeSaver


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## Gman (Sep 4, 2011)

Also, I am guessing this is in the same box, two drives? I had something similar when I was building the PC from the grocery thread. My mastery of the hardware isn't what it used to be, but in essence the way I connected the two drives was the culprit. I just put the drives on different ports so as to no establish a RAID/etc and everything worked out. Then when once I got that squared away, I did a system image backup to the data drive so in case something happened to the primary, I could install windows, reboot, restore the image and be back in business. If that isn't what you were talking about at all, then disregard what the crap I am talking about haha.


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## jellybellys (Apr 3, 2012)

Well I fired up photorec to get all the crap off of that drive that still remains. Hopefully my life isin't screwed over, haven't made a backup sience August 2011!
Oh yes and this is 2 drives one box. The drive I installed linux on (/dev/sdb) was supposed to be empty, although windows wanted to put stuff on there anyway >


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## Barf (Sep 26, 2011)

Windows is silly. I'm planning on reinstalling it, however, and then reinstalling the Linux distro I am currently using (on the same hard drive). Hope I don't run into this same problem!







good luck!


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## Gman (Sep 4, 2011)

To be honest, not sure it was windows fault. When I booted up my custom box for the first time, I over looked that on the mother board I believe I had put them on the same SATA link or the order in which they were connected had the primary drive as drive 1 and the data drive as drive 0. This is why I bring it up because I had attempeted to backup my system image to the data drive and Windows wouldn't recongize it. I had to start over, reformat both drives and then start building the OS and patches again. So I would double check your mobo to make sure that doesn't happen again just in case as I had to learn that lesson the "hard way" but not as hard as you. 

The real tell is what the drives say in disk managment. If it has listed on it that states, system, boot, page, primary partition, make sure you back your data because you have windows system files on there. I want to say that this only occurs during the initial install of the OS and once it is installed, those roles are set in stone and would require a rewipe. A down and dirty way to avoid any issues you might be seeing is to disconnect the data cable while you are reinstalling the OS on the primary drive.


jellybellys said:


> Well I fired up photorec to get all the crap off of that drive that still remains. Hopefully my life isin't screwed over, haven't made a backup sience August 2011!
> Oh yes and this is 2 drives one box. The drive I installed linux on (/dev/sdb) was supposed to be empty, although windows wanted to put stuff on there anyway >


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## Gman (Sep 4, 2011)

Just make sure you partition correctly and it shouldn't be an issue. I did a quick search and skim and this might be helpful
LINKY


Barf said:


> Windows is silly. I'm planning on reinstalling it, however, and then reinstalling the Linux distro I am currently using (on the same hard drive). Hope I don't run into this same problem!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Barf (Sep 26, 2011)

Gman said:


> Just make sure you partition correctly and it shouldn't be an issue. I did a quick search and skim and this might be helpful
> LINKY


Thanks I'll check it out. I'm going to be installing a version of arch Linux but im sure it'll help.


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