How can i retrieve files from reimaged internal hard drive, can they be still there?

[DRickka]

I reimaged my hard drive when windows would'nt open up and thought i was using the most recent back. Turn's out it was months old so i lost 5 months of new files plus what was there. How/if can i get them back?

[WAWood]

Drickka

First off, you need to understand that there is no guaranteed way to get the files back.  If you have written to the drive since you reimaged it, there is every likelyhood that you have overwritten some or all of the files and if that has happened, there is no possible way to retrieve them.

What MIGHT work is using data recovery apps.  These can scan the drive for files and folders, and if found, offer you the chance to retrieve them.

Your best bet for recovering data now is to do the following:
1) Remove the hard drive from the PC
2) Purchase a USB-to-Hard Driver adapter kit
3) Download and install this utility on a working PC: http://www.majorgeeks.com/news/story/recover_data_in_3_steps_with_minitool_power_data_recovery_free_...
4) Connect the old drive to the working PC
5) Run the data recovery utility to see what can be retrieved from the old drive.

If that does not find the files, then you could try using this more powerful tool, but only the trial version is free:  Active@ File Recovery searches for lost & deleted files, recovers damaged volumes, disks & RAIDs

Good Luck
========================================================================
I am a volunteer and I do not work for, nor do I represent, HP.
---------------------------------------------------------------
If my posts helped you, please click the Thumbs-Up symbol on my post to say thanks.
If my posts solved your problem please click "Accept As Solution".
========================================================================

[DRickka]

Ok will try, I haven't downloaded anything other than OS essentials & updates. I had about close to 300g of music, pictures, videos so seeing that I haven't written over all that,some should be still there then?

[WAWood]

If you had simply done a reformat, all that does is rewrite the partition table and, for the most part, leaves the actual data intact, just not easily accessible.

But reimaging a drive implies that you overwrote the existing partitions with a copy you had saved -- and that would include overwriting the data contents, as well.

IF you have overwritten the data files from the reimaging, there is nothing that is going to get the old files back -- all you can do is try the data recovery apps to see what they can find.

Good Luck
========================================================================
I am a volunteer and I do not work for, nor do I represent, HP.
---------------------------------------------------------------
If my posts helped you, please click the Thumbs-Up symbol on my post to say thanks.
If my posts solved your problem please click "Accept As Solution".
========================================================================

[DRickka · Accepted solution]

Ok, that would seem to be the issue because I didn't retrieve anything from trying with software. Thanks a lot guys.