MAC...I trashed a file, now I want it back!

[trash180]

So I threw away a pro tools session and emptied the trash. I immediatly realized that I needed that session...or at least the SDII files.

Mac 7500/G3/400 8.6
PT 4.2
Norton

I tried Norton unerase on it, and it couldn't find the stuff. It seems so stupid that I can't get it back. I haven't done anything with that drive except search it with Norton since. Any special tricks? I wasn't running Nortons file saver thingy if you were wondering.

It's not the biggest deal in the world, as it was only a half hours work, but I don't know if I'm going to be able to get these players back to re-do what I've lost.

I don't want to spend money on fancy pants data recovery either.
What do you think?

[trashy]

You can demo some data recovery programs at places like cnet.com and versiontracker. I think there's one called Data Rescue that, as a demo, will allow you to recover one file. May be just what you are looking for.

[Preston]

I also did this once and only once!!!! I tried some recovery tools with no luck. Then I called a guru, worked out a deal that if he could recover the files I would pay him his rate of 125 an hour. He was unable to recover the files. He informed me that when you "empty trash" all is lost. He said I could send the drive to a recovery company and pay them 1000's of dollars to MAYBE recover the files. Lucky for me I found a back-up I made. I now triple check the trash before I empty.


BACK-UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Preston

[trash180]

Yeah, I was in the midst of backing everything up when I threw out the file by accident. I guess after working 10 hours straight I need to step away from the computer for a while and get my bearing.

Thanks for the info...I kinda thought that I might be out of luck.

I guess I need to recover more like 21 SD2 files. 3 songs multitracked 7 tracks each. 2 of the takes were only ok anyway...

I'll look at that recovery thing tho...

Where's the undo?!?!
heh.
j.

[Preston]

Don't feel to bad I trashed a 12 song record! I even called the client and told him it was gone!! Then found the old back-up(I over looked it during my first search[DUMB ASS!!!!!!] and had to call the client and be like April fools!!! I'm an asshole!

Preston

[natural]

Correct- recovery programs won't work- (Norton, data rescue, disk warrior) they all will repair your directory so that you can get back to work. but in this case the directory is fine.
The only thing that I've found to work is to do the following:
1- Place a track into record
2- Hit record (protools will claim the drive while it's recording)
3- pull the plug (do this within a few seconds of hitting record)
4- Restart- when you look at the files on the Hard drive you'll see the file you started to record and it will be a huge file (at least a couple of gigs)
5- Drag this file into a session- This should contain eveything that's on the drive in one long data stream.
If your dirve is not very fragmented then you might find your missing data quickly. Otherwise there will be bits and pieces of files in the stream.
I've done this a couple of times, and although it works it's a very tiring method
Happy hunting.

[ctmsound]

hehe, this made me laugh quite a bit. Pertains a little bit to what we're talking about. Atleast, one segment does.

http://www.clanforu.net/mac.wmv

[Preston]

That was a very harsh vid clip. Yet it was the funniest god damn thing I have ever seen!!!

Preston

[touched1]

Natural,
have you actually done that Pro Tools recovery trick?

It sounds like a terrible idea.

[natural]

As stated in my reply above, yes I have done this. You may have done this too by accident. Ever have a power glitch (even with UPS) and after you reboot, you find that there is one file that is just too big to be normal?
There's probably other ways to do it. You just need to disrupt the communication between PT and the HD. Once you hit record, PT creates a temporary file (the size of all available space) When you stop recording, PT replaces the temp file with your newly recorded track. (hmm you could try just switching off the drive after hitting record)
Now, as you know, when you trash something, it's still on the drive and becomes part of the available space and also becomes part of this temp file.
It's really not all that terrible of an idea. Simple power failure. Have no fear, but as always, make sure you've backed up everything else.
Admittedly, not your best recourse as you will still have to sift though a lot of data. But when all other options fail, and the client is coming in tomorrow to mix, and the musician who played the missing track in question is out of town, and deadline is tight, and heads could roll(ie: yours) .... well.... waddaya gonna do?

[touched1]

Buddy, I fix Macs for a living, and we do in-house data reco. If ever anyone had the makings of a data reco customer it's someone trying this trick.

Where did this trick come from?

I am definetly intrigued, and will possibly try this out on a test machine.

I hear what you're saying, when you really need those files and can't pay the big $$ to get it back.

I gotta add to the trick, that any files written to the drive after the trashing, may overwrite the files you're looking for. So it's best not to use the drive at all once you've deterimed that you've trashed a file you still want. The more you keep using it, (Norton, etc...) the less chance you have of getting it back.

Also, be sure everything else is backed up, as this could cause further damage to your boot and record drives. And you run the risk of killing the drives altogether.

[A.L.]

That trick is 'definitely intriguing' but also sounds like a good way to seriously fry something. Especially if there's a Firewire connection involved... Digi002 or somethin'. "Simple power failure"? Egads.

[crookedsound]

Yeah, you could probably just yank the drive out while it's in record mode. I've hot swapped drives on my machine before on the advice of someone who has done it tons of times and it didn't hurt anything. I don't know that there is anything in your machine tho that would seriously risk injury if you did simply turn the power off tho.
Let me know if you need to borrow my 9 gig SCSI to transfer stuff to in the event that you recover it. I don't recall how many drives you have to spare. Or if you need, we could bring your drive over and plug it in to my machine to extract that stuff (assuming the trick works). I'm guessing that it just might because I had that power outage issue happen to me before where it leaves that huge reserve on the disc. I think you have too.
Let me know.

[trash180]

Whoa...I gave up way before you guys did...thanks for the replies. Thanks for the offer crooked.

I made them record the takes over. They were only ok anyway. Comp'd them an hour or two, and went back to work.

That unplugging idea would work though. I did have that happen to me a couple times. I didn't realize that it would include all the data on the drive though. Good one. Trick of the week, man. Really.

The next best trick would be to get all of those tracks to line up again...yikes!