External Hard drive formatted / deleted while installing windows 10

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  1. Posts : 10
    windows 8
       #1

    External Hard drive formatted / deleted while installing windows 10


    Hello there,
    I had windows 10 backup on my 1TB WD external hard drive. My 1TB external hard drive was also having all my important files along with pictures and videos. I was using following the step given in this video : How to Install Windows 10 from a USB Flash Drive - YouTube.
    After reboot, all my data/files/pics/videos on 1TB got deleted/formatted. When I plug in this hard drive again, it is showing only FAT 32 GB storage instead of showing 1TB. I went to manage and disk management, it is showing below info, which is showing 899.48 GB unallocated.
    Can someone please help me how to get back all my deleted/formatted data/files/ics/videos ???
    Thanks
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails External Hard drive formatted / deleted while installing windows 10-capture.jpg  
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 36
    Windows 10 64-bit Home Premium
       #2

    Have you tried checking your primary drive for the windows.old folder? Assuming you chose either the "Keep my files" or the"Remove Everything" options instead of the "Restore Factory Settings" entry, then all of your old files should be stored there.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 92
    Windows 10
       #3

    I did that once by mistake with Windows 7. Turns out when I chose to do a clean install I selected the wrong Disk/Partition and Windows erased the drive. Of course, it warned me first that the action would be one way.

    I realized a few minutes later when the Partition size that was being used was the wrong size. Lesson learned. Of course, I had backups so no loss. Same for you right? You had backups?

    External Hard drive formatted / deleted while installing windows 10-tony5.gif
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 3,502
    Win_8.1-Pro, Win_10.1607-Pro, Mint_17.3
       #4

    Try Minitool Partition Wizard Free to recover the partition(s) on the ext drive
    Tutorial: Partition Recovery
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 18,421
    Windows 11 Pro
       #5

    It appears that what happened was that when you ran the media creation tool to create the Windows 10 USB "flash drive" you selected the external hard drive and Media Creation Tool set up the install media on it - which means it gets reformatted to a 32 GB FAT32 partition. I just tried it, but did not click next. Here is my external USB hard drive connected as Disk 3:

    External Hard drive formatted / deleted while installing windows 10-capture.jpg

    Here is Media Creation Tool on the screen where I would click next to do what you apparently did to your external hard drive:

    External Hard drive formatted / deleted while installing windows 10-capture1.jpg

    If I clicked next - I would expect that what the screen says would happen would be what would actually happen. H: drive - a partition on the external hard drive - "The files on your USB drive will be deleted. To keep these files, back them up now to another save location." Apparently the Media Creation Tool isn't smart enough to tell the difference between an external hard drive and a flash drive connected to the USB port.

    You can try a partition recovery program, but if the files that were erased were that important you might want to take that drive to a professional company that recovers data.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 10
    windows 8
    Thread Starter
       #6

    I did selected remove everything and lost all data after restore factory setting.

    Arcturus Fyr said:
    Have you tried checking your primary drive for the windows.old folder? Assuming you chose either the "Keep my files" or the"Remove Everything" options instead of the "Restore Factory Settings" entry, then all of your old files should be stored there.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 10
    windows 8
    Thread Starter
       #7

    You are right, program did not realize that it was my external hard drive and it did ask me to delete/format drive. It was my mistake I selected to delete/format and lost everything. But do you HAVE ANY IDEA by chance if I can get those files in unallocated space which is showing now ??


    NavyLCDR said:
    It appears that what happened was that when you ran the media creation tool to create the Windows 10 USB "flash drive" you selected the external hard drive and Media Creation Tool set up the install media on it - which means it gets reformatted to a 32 GB FAT32 partition. I just tried it, but did not click next. Here is my external USB hard drive connected as Disk 3:

    External Hard drive formatted / deleted while installing windows 10-capture.jpg

    Here is Media Creation Tool on the screen where I would click next to do what you apparently did to your external hard drive:

    External Hard drive formatted / deleted while installing windows 10-capture1.jpg

    If I clicked next - I would expect that what the screen says would happen would be what would actually happen. H: drive - a partition on the external hard drive - "The files on your USB drive will be deleted. To keep these files, back them up now to another save location." Apparently the Media Creation Tool isn't smart enough to tell the difference between an external hard drive and a flash drive connected to the USB port.

    You can try a partition recovery program, but if the files that were erased were that important you might want to take that drive to a professional company that recovers data.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 10
    windows 8
    Thread Starter
       #8

    No backups, 1TB was my back ups and its all gone.


    hiphopper said:
    I did that once by mistake with Windows 7. Turns out when I chose to do a clean install I selected the wrong Disk/Partition and Windows erased the drive. Of course, it warned me first that the action would be one way.

    I realized a few minutes later when the Partition size that was being used was the wrong size. Lesson learned. Of course, I had backups so no loss. Same for you right? You had backups?

    External Hard drive formatted / deleted while installing windows 10-tony5.gif
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 1,366
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #9

    For future reference, backup drives usually aren't connected 24x7 and are most definitely not connected when doing any major to the system.

    As for your data, you skipped the answer in post #4 on how to get it back.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 10
    windows 8
    Thread Starter
       #10

    What you say is for getting partition recovery for unallocated size of hard disk. But how it will work after partition ?
    Because after partition, unallocated will become new volume and will I be able to get lost files from that new volume ??


    Slartybart said:
    Try Minitool Partition Wizard Free to recover the partition(s) on the ext drive
    Tutorial: Partition Recovery
      My Computer


 

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