Recovered Data w/ GetDataBack - Everything Corrupt

[Pork Chop]

I'm doing data recovery for the 1st time.
I'm using GetDataBack because it's been highly recommended by many on Technibble.

I have a client's new Sony Vaio that must have been accidentally formatted and
had Win 7 reinstalled. The lady's father claims he pressed the power button and
left and came back and it was acting weird. Right now every time it boots up Windows
says it's preparing to be used for the 1st time and then it goes to the
logon screen and the only user available is the admin. It won't let me log into
the admin account or do anything. Same problem in Safe Mode.

There is an assist button right by the power button that can allow the user to reinstall Windows so
I am assuming he could have clicked it on accident and messed up the computer.

It's a very strange issue. How could someone accidentally reload Windows! And why
would the new installation be acting so weird?


---- I used GetDataBack and it showed me everything that was on the drive before it
was reloaded. I was able to recover everything that was in the user "Laptop" folder.
I saved them on my desktop in a folder.

PROBLEM: Everything I try to open will not open! I even have tried using several Office Word
recovery/repair programs to get her Word docs fixed, but none work. I just tried DocRepair and it gets
to step 2 (Analyze document structures and problems) and does nothing. My CPU usage is at 50%.

Am I doing something wrong?

Is there anyway to fix the data?

She is willing to pay $$$$$ to have Data Doctors (I'm an affiliate) to fix the issue. Can they do
something I can't? I figured they'd only pretty much be needed if there were a hardware problem.

 

[Knightsman]

if the drive isnt failing try multiple data recovery techniques. See if open office can open the file.

 

[jbartlett323]

GetDataBack is a great tool, but it sounds like the drive was not only formatted, but reinstalled over top of. This means that any data residing in any of the re-written sectors is gone. GDB will see that the partition table and MFT's exsisted, but anything recovered will most likely be corrupt as its missing 2-3 bits... This is why it is crucial that in any data recovery situation, the drive cannot be re-written, or any data added to the drive...

That being said, it is possible that something a bit more intense, like R-Studio, might do the job. Or at least get more back than GDB, but odds are its gone.

Typically, data recovery specialists are more for mechanical failures, but they may be able to do more software-wise, but i doubt it...

 

[cyabro]

I've had Great success with GDB after a client ran the factory restore on their laptop and lost all their data.
GDB was able to recover pretty much all their documents and about 90% of their photos.

 

[Knightsman]

Here is how I see it. Based on my experience on replacing the drives.

It is less likely the drive you tested with a couple bad sectors will fail than if you purchase a new one and it fails within 3 months..


Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk

 

[Knightsman]

I use Active File Recovery, and Recuva, both do really well in this type of situation.

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk

 

[Encrypted Existence]

I use R-Studio myself. It is indeed "slow as molasses" as they say but it's very effecient.