HDD not visible. Data recovery help needed.

[MadridBill]

OK.
Novice and new and you will see below how much of a mess I've created.

My windows recently refused to boot, instead taking me to the BSOD and repeatedly trying to reboot.

So, using a backtrack 5 KDE disk I have I downloaded Ubuntu 12.04 and unetbootin.

Ok, so I Installed ubuntu (keeping windows) , on a new partition.

It wouldn't boot, it gave me an error as soon as the computer went on. (Unlike the windows issue where it ran a good minute through the boot cycle before BSOD and restarting)

I decided to install ubuntu again, over windows, figuring I'd deal with fixing windows later (if ever) and was happy enough because all my music, videos and photos are on my D drive and not C.

When I clicked to install it asked me again if I wanted a fresh install or for ubuntu to be installed beside....(only this time it asked me if I wanted to install ubuntu beside ubuntu. (No mention of windows)

Anyway, I clicked for it to install over what was there and make a new installation.
A few clicks without reading it properly later and I had chosen to delete everything and go with a fresh installation.

Within 5 seconds of clicking I realised I would lose my whole D drive also and all my personal files, I turned the machine off.

I assume all the data is still there but there is no partitions.

I installed ubuntu onto an 8gb USB for the time being and am in Ubuntu 12.04.
I'd like to know how I find the HD from here, and how I would go about getting my files.
Either by moving them to an exernal HDD or by mounting. partitioning or whatever I need to do to the HDD I can't find.

Any help would be excellent.

Billy

[philinux]

From the usb stick install testdisk. This can recover lost partitions and it's utility photorec can recover all manner of file type.

Read up on it first though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TestDisk

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk

[MadridBill]

Thanks for the quick reply ..

I'll give that a bash.