computer question

The short answer is no, unless, you just repaired the previous windows install.

If this is not the case............................then,

The first person to be sacked, is you, for not having a backup procedure in place and the second, is the person who re-installed xp windows for also not making a backup.

Would I sack you or the other person? too dam right I would! lol :-P

Any serious IT person will always make a backup and another and then another.

If you have mega bucks to spare, you could try a data retrieval company, but even then, it is very unlikely to get back the data that you want.

Sorry the news couldn't be happier.

Use the Boy Scout Motto: Be Prepared.

For the future, start reading and practice replacing your own hard drives and installing OS's, and dealing with backups yourself. It sounds like no one else is doing it, so you have a new skill set to learn.

Bo

Mmmmm......how many of us just did a backup just in case?

Everyday. Lose one hard drive and you're data and you'll learn to backup too.

There are people who can recover data off a hard drive even in situations like yours. The problem is they generally work for the NSA, CIA or FBI. Search the net for hard drive data recovery services. Of course if you are now using this machine you are only making things worse. You may find it not cost effective.

TOP

I did the same thing a long time ago, I thought I grabbed my SW directory but didn't. I reformatted and reinstalled WIN XP. Thought I was a dead man when I didn't find my files on DISC, did a quick search on the net and found a program to recover deleted files, even from formatted hard drives, NOT to hard. It took a half hour search and I was able to recover everything, no problems. everything still available. You can try a free program call RESTORATION or ACTIVE makes one called UNERASER you could try. There are also a lot of cheap, generic ones that contain spyware, adware and don't work worth anything. Test out the trials till you get one that you like, use it to find your files, then buy the software. Good Luck!

Most "Recovery" or "Unerase" programs work only if:

1. you did NOT overwrite the hard drive with new data
2. the hard drive has not had an electrical or hardware failure
3. the drive has not been scrambled by an electrical failure during a write which can cause the drive to not be recognized or mountable.

Bo