HELP - Accidental Partition Override Please Advise - HELP

[ZacPh]

I'm kinda new to Linux, and I admit I should have been more careful when installing Ubuntu, so please don't criticize my actions too much.

I downloaded the latest Ubuntu Live CD yesterday and tried it out. Loved it. So I tried to install it on my computers HDD. As I was rushing to try it out at higher speeds, without knowing the full extent of what I'd done, I clicked the option that overwrited my Windows Xp partition and installed Ubuntu on my entire disk.

Three-quarters of the way through I realised what I had done and stopped the installation. I then reinstalled, and selected the correct option for a dual boot, that created a partition for Ubuntu.

I now cannot boot XP at all, just Ubuntu, is there any chance if i reinstall XP and run a data recovery tool, that I could recover my lost files, or rcovering then from Ubuntu and viewing them from Ubuntu somehow, and if so, what is the best way going about this?

Thanks

ZacPh

[n4pgw]

I am afraid that all I have is bad news. When you installed Ubuntu, it overwrote the area on your drive where your programs and data were stored, at least up to the number of megabytes you installed. By installing Windows, you will overwrite even more. Some of your data may still be there, but based on your experience level (as I can guess from your post), you will need someone experienced in data recovery to rescue what's left.

I always have separate HDDs to store my data on separate from the operating system on my computers. Quite honestly, it is because you weren't the first person to make that mistake.

I hope this helps,
Buck

[ZacPh]

I am afraid that all I have is bad news. When you installed Ubuntu, it overwrote the area on your drive where your programs and data were stored, at least up to the number of megabytes you installed. By installing Windows, you will overwrite even more. Some of your data may still be there, but based on your experience level (as I can guess from your post), you will need someone experienced in data recovery to rescue what's left.

I always have separate HDDs to store my data on separate from the operating system on my computers. Quite honestly, it is because you weren't the first person to make that mistake.

I hope this helps,
Buck

thanks buck, are there any programs you recommend that could help me, or do i need someone experienced to come in and help me?

Thanks

[devils casper]

Lets check partition structure of your Hard disk first.
Boot up Ubuntu, open Terminal and execute this

sudo fdisk -l

Post output here.

* Its small L in fdisk -l.

[n4pgw]

I am afraid you will need someone better experienced than me on that one.

Maybe Devil's Casper can help.

Good luck

[ZacPh]

Its ok guys thanks for your help, my mate's going to fix it up 4 me, he's employed in that field, and hes got my pc at the moment.

just to let you know, i remember looking at the "fdisk -l" in the terminal, and from memory, i think the windows partition was still there, FAT 16 or something, and had the highest amount of blocks, i also run a recovery program from Hiren's boot cd, and saw all my files were there in a logical drive it created, i just need another hard drive and a better revovery tool to un-delete my files, which is what my mate is going to do at the weekend.

Thanks for all your help

ZacPh

[devils casper]

Good Luck ! Do let us know how it goes.

[stef4001]

one advise before you do something like this take e external disk and backup all your data our do it on e PC with no importing data learned from experience beter luck next time but it looks DAT you ar gowning to bi saved, unlike my
welkom to ubuntu (linux)