Inadvertently shredded all file data from my WD external drive. I have not reconfigured the drive. Can the files be restored or is the data lost?
S
Answer by
Sean Hill
Shredding is different than deleting. You can recover a deleted file, but almost impossible to recover a shredded file since the deletion process is totally different. If you use a recovery tool, the file will appear, but impossible to recover due to the current status.
No, the files can't be restored and the data you have shredded is long gone, but that doesn't mean you can't try.
Install Recuva, enable Deep Scan from the Wizard menu and let it scan then check the results.
My friend told me that I can delete the unnecessary files with Hardwipe, so I installed it yesterday. I tried to wipe the Local Disk D and now I can not access it and it shows that it has 0 bytes used. Please tell me that my documents are not deleted or that they can be at least restored. How can I fix this?
A
Answer by
Aiden McLeod
The Hardwipe program isn't developed to delete any data. But it creates large dummy files that overcome the location from your hard drive that were previously packed with data. If you used the program on your local drive, there is no way to recover your data. However, depending on the option that you used, Wipe Logical Volume or Clean Free Space, you might need to format your drive in order to access it. According to your description of the problem, this is the case which requires a format. There is no other way to access your D:\ drive. For additional information, check the product's official website.
Inadvertently shredded all file data from my WD external drive. I have not reconfigured the drive. Can the files be restored or is the data lost?
Shredding is different than deleting. You can recover a deleted file, but almost impossible to recover a shredded file since the deletion process is totally different. If you use a recovery tool, the file will appear, but impossible to recover due to the current status.
No, the files can't be restored and the data you have shredded is long gone, but that doesn't mean you can't try.
Install Recuva, enable Deep Scan from the Wizard menu and let it scan then check the results.
My friend told me that I can delete the unnecessary files with Hardwipe, so I installed it yesterday. I tried to wipe the Local Disk D and now I can not access it and it shows that it has 0 bytes used. Please tell me that my documents are not deleted or that they can be at least restored. How can I fix this?
The Hardwipe program isn't developed to delete any data. But it creates large dummy files that overcome the location from your hard drive that were previously packed with data. If you used the program on your local drive, there is no way to recover your data. However, depending on the option that you used, Wipe Logical Volume or Clean Free Space, you might need to format your drive in order to access it. According to your description of the problem, this is the case which requires a format. There is no other way to access your D:\ drive. For additional information, check the product's official website.