r/AskADataRecoveryPro

Files disappeared all alone from ssd (Windows 10).

Hi, a friends of mine have a computer that was in deep hibernation state for 3 weeks (not turn off). Today when he awake it, he saws that there was 20go data missing on his C ssd drive. He immediately stopped Trim, and installed on another ssd (D drive) the easus recovery tool. It recovered 70% of his files, and some other 30% are corrupted.

So, I have read that it could be a problem with the frozen state, as the ssd drive seem to be working well.

But I told my friend to stop the computer, and we will make a ssd clone when he come home.

What is the possible problem and what could we do to recover more files?

Could it be a system file corruption due to the long hibernation ?

I have a Seagate Barracuda HD that was in one of our computers and was corrupted. I have it connected to Fideco HDD reader and have managed to recover most of what I needed using Fastcopy that was able to leave out the damaged files. There is one folder with older pics left that I want, but Fastcopy says "the request failed due to a fatal device hardware error" without any files moving over. We do have another desktop that I could plug it in as a second hard drive if that will help. Any suggestsions are welcome.

I am able to see the photo inside of my digicam (Sony Cybershot) perfectly, and I can see it in the mini thumbnail when I'm looking through pictures on my macbook, but when I open it, it looks like this. Sometimes the green part also turns a solid gray color. This also happens when I view it on my phone. Please can someone help me fix the color or fix this corruption? I really want to recover this photo of my dad at a wedding. Thank you and please let me know what I can do!

https://preview.redd.it/mny5i304h02h1.jpg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c872ebc5c6beba5a64aea16bda76ff0b4fd7bb21

https://preview.redd.it/47gh5otih02h1.png?width=1810&format=png&auto=webp&s=cfd92d1e26cd6eb495f7f7b501e9d02fab5261f5

Additionally, there are a lot of other photos that have the same problem.

Thank you in advance, let me know if I need to include anything else.

I have a HDD which I'm trying to recover deleted media from. The drive is not corrupted, works perfectly fine just trying to get back old deleted stuff.

I scanned it using free trial Wondershare (I know, I know) and it found all the media and is portraying proper file sizes, although it's failing to show previews for them.

Then I tried running DMDE, I did a quick scan first and it also found the files, I tried recovering some of them and although they had the right file size they won't open in any image or video viewer which maybe means they're too fargone?

I'm still running the DMDE full scan it's about half way through. Based on this what options may I have, and what's the likelihood they're fully cooked?

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to understand if I still have a chance of recovering data from an SSD after a series of events.

Device:

• SSD: Gigabyte GP-GSTFS31480GNTD 480GB
• Controller: Phison PS3111-S11
• Original issue: drive became stuck in SATAFIRM S11 state and was no longer functioning normally.

What happened:

1. The SSD failed and started showing as SATAFIRM S11.
2. I used Phison Flash ID and identified:
   • Controller: PS3111
   • Firmware family: SBFMP1.3
3. I used an S11 firmware repair/flashing tool and flashed SBFMP1.3_21102020.BIN.
4. The SSD came back to life and is now detected properly as:
   • Gigabyte GP-GSTFS31480GNTD
   • CrystalDiskInfo shows:
     • Health: 100%
     • 0 host writes
     • 0 hours
     • Firmware: SBFMP1.3
5. Windows then prompted me to initialize the disk in Disk Management.
6. I selected GPT initialization (I did NOT create partitions, format, or install anything afterward).
7. I almost installed Linux to the drive but stopped before any installation happened.

Current situation:

I connected the SSD to another PC and started a DMDE Full Scan:

• NTFS
• FAT
• exFAT
• ExtFS
• RAW signatures enabled

No writing has been done after GPT initialization.

Questions:

• Did GPT initialization likely overwrite only the partition structures or could it have caused more damage?
• Is there a possibility TRIM already wiped data?
• Since the drive had previously been stuck in SATAFIRM S11 state, could firmware failure have prevented TRIM from executing normally?
• Is DMDE the right approach here or should I stop immediately and clone the SSD first?
• Does reflashing an S11 SSD itself reduce recovery chances?

I understand SSD recovery is much harder than HDD recovery due to FTL/TRIM behavior, but I'm trying to determine whether I still have a realistic chance before doing anything else.

Thanks.

I’m not an expert and I may be misunderstanding parts of what I wrote. I followed guides and advice while trying to save the drive, so please let me know if I’m making wrong assumptions.

EDIT: At the time I flashed it, I believed the SSD itself was the goal. I was trying to get a functional drive again after seeing SATAFIRM S11 and following common repair videos/tutorials. I was told only afterwards that the data on it (old family videos) was actually important.

Since last night my 2TB WD external HDD started disconnecting randomly and windows asked me to scan/repair it. I ran chkdsk without really thinking about it and now the drive is hardly showing up at all.

Looking back on older posts here and realizing that might have been a horrible idea. Did I do something to make recovery more difficult?

I am looking for input and advice from anyone with data recovery experience.

Situation--

• Device: DJI Osmo Pocket 3
• SD Card: SanDisk Extreme PRO 256 GB A2
• Reader for PC: USB3.0 MicroSDXC Reader
• Action: In the camera, I swiped to format the SD card (Didn't say if it was a quick or full format) and then took 10 photos before realizing all previous footage was gone.

Issue--

• Before formatting, the card contained approximately 3-4 hours of video footage and a few photos.
• SD card starting slowing down even though it was charged and had enough storage.
• I formatted the card (learned my lesson) and all the previous data went missing completely.

Recovery Attempts-- (All performed on original card with no further writes beyond the 10 photos)

1. Recuva
2. PhotoRec
3. DMDE
4. RescuePRO
5. Disk Drill

I selected full deep scans, raw scans, fragmented recovery, and advanced camera recovery modes.

Results--

• All tools successfully scanned the card without read errors.
• The only files found were the 10 photos I took after formatting (plus its duplicates).
• There were no older photos, videos, or fragments.

Other Notes--

• Card functions normally (can read and write)
• File system appears normal (exFAT, correct capacity)
• No signs of hardware failure
• No residual directory structure

Is there any realistic scenario where the videos could still be recovered via specialized tools?

Would a professional lab or recovery service have a chance here?

I'm hoping that my data can be saved. Thanks in advance for any insight.

Disclaimer--

I'm not tech-savvy at all. I know very little about computers, cameras, and technical terms. I've just been learning everything as I go. Please be kind as I try to figure this out and do what I possibly can to salvage what I had.

hey all

I'm trying to recover data from this cd but I encounter many problems and I don't know how to explain them I used Al to make a report about it

1. Media & System Specifications Host Operating System: Windows 7 (Ultimate/Professional Architecture). Physical Media Type: DVD+R (MGM). Nominal Total Capacity: 4.7 GB. Reported Used Space (Apparent): 4.5 GB. File System: UDF (Universal Disk Format). Original Archiving Method: Multi-session recording via a digital video camcorder (Sony Handycam Mini-DVD). Reading Hardware Device: Internal Desktop DVD Drive.

2. Software Behavior & OS Responsiveness Windows 7 Explorer: The Windows 7 kernel and file explorer successfully recognize the hardware disc structure, displaying the total and used capacities (4.5 GB used out of 4.7 GB). However, attempting to access, open, or browse the root directory causes an immediate, unrecoverable system freeze (Not Responding / Loop). Windows 7 Explorer crashes entirely due to an I/O driver timeout while attempting to parse corrupted UDF metadata or invalid Virtual Allocation Tables (VAT). Standard Copying & Carving Tools: Standard software applications, including ImgBurn, PhotoRec, and CDRoller, completely failed to bypass the initial OS-level read hang or recognize the physical disc layout, freezing during the initialization phase. Successful Extraction Tool: IsoBuster (utilizing the low-level Managed Image driver feature) was the only software capable of bypassing the Windows 7 file system abstraction layer, successfully mapping and reading the internal physical sector geometry directly.

3. Data Discrepancy & Size Analysis Deep sector-by-sector analysis revealed a significant contradiction between the capacity reported by Windows 7 and the actual data structure extracted: Physical Sector Image Size (IBQ/ISO Image): Settled at 2.44 GB (the absolute limit of sequentially readable physical sectors). Internal Session Architecture: The scan revealed 3 physically distinct sessions. However, these are logically mirrored/linked sessions. The subsequent sessions (Sessions 2 and 3) simply act as file system index updates, pointing back to the exact same sector addresses as Session 1. Net Unique Content Size: Settled at 1.95 GB after isolating and purging legacy system artifacts, automated Thumbs.db files, and dummy files (such as hollow .EXE slideshow viewers and screensaver shortcuts weighing exactly 48 KB).

4. Extracted Archive Structure & Content The successfully recovered 1.95 GB data payload consists of two isolated directory layers, containing metadata and timestamps dating back to 2005, 2009, and 2012: Playable DVD-Video Structure: A standard VIDEO_TS directory containing fragmented .VOB files (MPEG-2 encoded), compiled originally for compatibility with standalone home DVD players. Raw Camera Data: Separate root directories containing the original, un-muxed files written directly by the camera hardware prior to finalizing. This includes raw images in JPEG format and legacy mobile/camcorder video clips in 3GP format.

5. Technical Conclusion The storage medium suffers from a severe structural conflict aggravated by Windows 7's native UDF driver limitations. There is a 2.05 GB data gap between the logical index read by Windows 7 (4.5 GB used) and the physical sector-by-sector layout extracted by IsoBuster (2.44 GB raw image). This behavior, combined with the OS hanging symptoms, indicates that the missing 2.05 GB consists of either massive unclosed inter-session gaps (padding sectors left by an incomplete finalization process) or orphaned/isolated sectors containing older raw recordings that were dropped from the final UDF table allocation, which Windows 7 unsuccessfully tries to parse until it hangs.

the back of the disc

https://preview.redd.it/292ws2w2jh1h1.jpg?width=1351&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0a429e8430b69166844ea4574a201b7c4fbe88e0

Update: My amazing partner managed to track down, recover and repair a temp file! Saved the day ✨ thank you for the help!!

I WILL PREFACE THIS TO SAY I AM FREAKING THE FUCK OUT. PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN!

I have a very sensitive excel doc that I work on exclusively on my usb configured to FAT 32 to switch between mac and pc use. (I know that is not the best use for it, just bear with me please for the solutions).

I worked on the file a bit on my Mac, saved the file, ejected it correctly using finder. A couple of hours later, I connected it to my Pc (running on windows 11 which I know I need to update). It opened up to the last version of my file (the previous one to my last update). I wondered what happened, ejected it and went to the Mac again. Now the computer doesnt even recognize the files in the usb, just shows up blank in Finder. Wondering what the hell. A quick search suggested that I use First aid in disk utility, did that, recovered access to all of my files EXCEPT FOR THE ONE I WAS WORKING ON.

Now when I try to open the file it says "cannot open due to file extension" or something like that and I cannot get it to open, even with a previous copy etc. I ejected, went to the PC again, same thing, cannot for the life of me open the file.

I already tried to use a file repair program Tenorhsare 4DDiG, tried opening it using Libre Office, which 1) didnt work and 2) opens a completely empty file.

I am seriously crashing right now. Its at least 5 months of solid data on there that I cannot at all redo, it would literally be impossible.

Please help!! My trusty computer repair person will come tomorrow to check on it, not sure if I should stop fucking around with it or try anything else. She has already let me know that it will likely be hard to recover because Macs have that issue when working directly from a usb and not a file saved to the computer.

I had important data on my SD card from my camera. I thought I had copied that data to my laptop so I formatted SD card

After formatting it first time I recorded/copied another different set of data onto the same SD card. Later I copied that second set of data to my laptop and formatted SD card again. Here keep in mind that my SD card is only 64 GB and I copied data two times, means almost 100 GB.

Now I realized first important data was never actually copied to my laptop

I tried recovering SD card using photorec and it is mostly recovering second set of data not first one, that I apparently need

This is making me think the second data may have overwritten the first data sectors

The card has been formatted twice in total and new data was written after first format. I have stopped using the SD card now

Now, i want to ask you guys: Is there any advanced recovery method, deep scan, or professional tool that could still recover first set of data?

Here’s the situation:

I was trying to set up a dual boot system with a friend — Windows and Bazzite (Linux) on two separate drives.
The C drive already had Windows installed, and we created a new partition (150GB) from a 1TB D drive to install Linux (which became the L drive).

Before doing anything, we created a restore point in Windows. Everything seemed fine.

However, after booting into Linux and then restarting the computer to check if everything worked properly, Windows would no longer boot.

We spent around 9 hours trying to figure out what went wrong, and it turns out that the NTFS signature and MFT are completely corrupted, and the entire C partition is now shown as RAW.

I wouldn’t have a problem reinstalling Windows, but I really need to recover my .aseprite files. I cannot realistically recreate those assets 1:1 — they are sprites for a game I’m working on.

I tried using DMDE to copy files to my working D partition. The process seemed to go relatively smoothly, and I managed to recover copies of .aseprite and .blend files (the latter are less critical, but still useful).

However, after trying to open them, it turned out that most of the files are corrupted — they won’t open in any program, including PNG and .aseprite files.

Right now, I’m trying another approach in DMDE: scanning both NTFS and RAW instead of NTFS only, but I’m not sure if this will help.

My guess is that the issue might have started when Windows reported that the restore point was successfully created, but something actually went wrong, and restarting the system caused the corruption.

(The entire text was translated using AI so I could explain the situation as clearly as possible in my own language.)

what do i do to fix this

i got a bunch of videos and pictures and it dont work. tried to open in a new app and that didnt work, tried 4d dig and that didnt work, tried the google drive method and that also did not work. is there any hope for me

an example of what happens when i try to open the file

Is it possible either through a root or sending in a device to get text messages recoverd from an iPhone?

Phone is fully functioning.

Deleted box has already been deleted as well.

I've had this laptop for some years now and the laptop has never had any real issue in this time , the problem started when I was applying for a work from home position and the company required Windows 11 to use their software. My laptop had window 10 installed but couldn't upgrade due to one area of hardware not meeting the minimum requirement to upgrade from 10 to 11. Since I needed money I looked up other ways to install windows 11 without having to replace that hardware. I think majority of the stuff I saw said that it may just run a little slower depending on what the laptop would be used for. I did also see that in some cases, people who upgraded from 10 to 11 ended up with a bricked PC which was scary even though they met the minimum requirements to upgrade. So, I installed a third party free software and followed a tutorial that enabled the laptop to be upgraded to Windows 11 and bypass the Windows minimum to upgrade requirement. Everything seemed to be working fine for about maybe a week(?) and then the one day during that week(?) the laptop got left unplugged and so the laptop shutdown and had to be recharged. Once it got enough charge, I restarted the laptop but could only see the mouse cursor and a black background. No UI, No sign-in, no apps, nothing but the cursor and the background. Anyway, I followed a bunch of steps and was eventually able to figure out that the drive had become RAW. Not 100% sure how but the example explanation of what a RAW drive is makes me think it may have something to do with the windows 11 upgrade somehow, that, and the fact that I think the windows upgrade and the companies software they asked for us to install, are the only real changes that were made in recent time before the drive became raw.

My objective would be to be able to return the drive from raw, back to its original format without losing any data but if not then I guess, file recovery and then reformatting the drive?

Not sure where to begin and what precautions to take before I start, Any help in navigating this space would be greatly appreciated y'all.

Thank you in advance but also. I am going to be posting this in other similar forums as well so, If you're apart those forums as well, well, I guess Hi Ni-Howdy (waves)

Also, wasn't sure what else to include in this

The Drive is a 1TB 5400 rpm SATA-HDD and it came in a HP Laptop 15- bs0xx. Hope that helps somehow

I have an old sandisk thumbdrive with encrypted files on it. The encryption program on the drive crashes whenever I try to log in to access the files. Ive contacted the company but sadly the product is end of life. Im in the middle of trying their recommended recovery options but it's not looking good.

If their recovery options dont work, what are my options for un-encrypting the files? As far as I know all the files look good in the folder and should be intact. Its just that the program to access them keeps failing.

I am wondering, wheter there is really no chance to recover data after full format an hdd,sdd,usb,micro sd card or sd card?.Has someone experienced it wheter data recovery is possible after full format?.

My external hard drive fell from my coffee table. When I plugged it in, the light came on and it did not make any weird noises but my computer could not open any of the files or copy them to another drive - although I could see the files and folders. I downloaded Disk Drill and the first scan found no problems and sent me to a byte to byte copy or something. I am doing that now and most of it says “bad blocks” - what does that mean and what should I do?
About 1/4 of the files were not backed up and they are my family pictures for the last 4-6 months. :-/

I spent the past 3 weeks compiling over 20 years of images from my iPhoto account and hard drives from several laptops going back as far as 2004, sorting them by year & subject and had them stored on an old SATA drive connected to a USB C SATA adapter. my partner just shuffled past it, tripped on the cable and yeeted the drive to the floor from a 42" high shelf. It is now making a high-ish pitched sound every 1-2 seconds and will not mount on my MacBook Pro. I do not have a back up in this format, many of the images are spread across a half dozen drives which are barely stable and the iPhoto images, which are essentially every photo I've taken since 2018, were only on that drive and most were deleted when canceled my iCloud account.

How fucked am I? is this recoverable and if so, about how much is it going to cost?

TIA

Dear experts! I tried to permanently decrypt my 1 TB WD Elements SSD drive with Veracrypt, but it stopped at 0,02 % because of hardware error. To access my data, I tried then to reverse the process and re-encrypt the full volume but it failed at 99,98 %, because of physical error. Is there any chance to get my data from that volume? I haven't tried any data recovery tool yet.