UNIX for Advanced & Expert Users

No no, i'm saying not to install a program on the hard drive which would defeat the purpose of recovering any files. The USB key would only be to contain the program that would access the hard drive for file recovery.
Best would be, if no other means, to boot from recovery usb key and that way no data would be written at all, but then need more info.

---------- Post updated at 02:13 PM ---------- Previous update was at 02:11 PM ----------

woops 2 times

Your original post there was put in the moderation queue... I think USB tripped the SPAM filter - or maybe UBS did?

Anyhoo, we're getting "prevention" and "cure" mixed up.

I'm sure that ravigupta2u will be all the wiser moving forward

His initial post seemed to indicate needing immediate recovery of lost files and asking him if he had backups seemed redundant in the least. Your point was made and I am sure he will do it for next time, but, now is about recovery If I understand correctly. Getting back his files, this is what I answered after your comments. I'm not sure why your so high up on this, I guess your title makes you all knowing!

The advice he's given so far is probably the most useful -- look for accidental/old copies kept elsewhere. Complete, organized data from an old copy is probably still better than the disorganized, fragmentary data you'd get from a disk trawl, newer or not...

Without more detailed information on his system and situation, any detailed advice we give is likely to be counterproductive. You can't USB-boot a virtual server, for instance, so that's not good generic advice... magicrescue can't find datafiles it can't recognize, for another. And so forth. Scott did ask for more info and we have no reply as of yet...