I accidentally selected my dad's external backup drive when creating Windows installation media. It had family photos and sensitive files on it. I unplugged it as soon as I realized what happened. Can it be restored, or is there a way to recover the files?
Can I recover files after turning an external drive into Windows install media?
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m4!parcel_671
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Leave it unplugged for now and don't try to make it usable again. Creating installation media can reformat the drive and write new files over old data. Anything overwritten can't be recovered from that drive, but some files may still be recoverable.
There isn't a simple way to revert it to its previous state. Tell your dad what happened before trying anything else, since he may have another copy or want to decide how to handle the recovery.
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If those photos and documents are valuable and there's no other backup, a data recovery specialist is probably the safest next step. Explain that the drive was used to create Windows installation media and ask about their assessment process and costs before handing it over.
Since it contains sensitive information, ask how they handle privacy and where recovered files will be stored. A general repair shop isn't necessarily equipped for specialist recovery work.
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Recovery software is another option, but don't rush into running tools on the original drive. Look into the procedure first and make sure recovered files go to a separate drive, not back onto the damaged one.
Results aren't guaranteed. A scan may find only some files, and the chances depend on what the formatting and media creation process changed or overwrote.
b317+tramline_8:
If the files are irreplaceable, consider the specialist route before experimenting. Further writes to the drive can make recovery harder.
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Pellin-7x:
It also helps to tell them what kind of drive it is and whether the installation media process finished, if you know.