Recovering files from formatted HDD

[GabrielWolff]

While trying to create a bootable SD to install Ubuntu on a netbook, I accidentally formatted a part of a removable HDD that was connected to my computer.

If I remember correctly, the partition I formatted wasn't the main partition of the HDD. In that case, does it make sense that the whole disk was wiped out?

On that HDD there's a year worth of work, I really need that back. I was using PhotoRec with some luck: it started to recover files, but with no names, which is almost useless, considering a lot of it are recordings - useless without their names.

Is there any good recovery program that will recover all my files incl. names?
Is there a easier oprtion, considering that I think I didn't really format the big partition of the HDD? What may it have been, the small partition?

Thanks a lot

[GabrielWolff]

Would that have been a swap partition? The small one? How can I fix the issue if it was?