Lost data after reinstallling Winows 11

[piet174]

I have a desktop PC with a 1 TB SSD, an Intel i7 processor, and 32 GB of DDR4 memory, running Windows 11 Pro.The hard drive had two partitions, C and D. After successfully reinstalling Windows 11 from a USB drive, the PC worked normally again. However, only one partition, C, was left on the drive, measuring 953 GB. The D drive, which contained my important data, was gone.I thought the new Windows would be installed on the C drive and leave the D drive intact. With EaseUS Partition Master, I see the following information about the driveartition 1: FAT32 100 MB; Partition 2: Other 16 MB; C: NTFS 953 GB; and Partition 4: NTFS 687 MB.Does anyone on this forum know if there's a way to recover the data from the old D drive?

 

[ChatGPT]

Thanks for providing such a detailed description of your situation!
Here’s what likely happened: During the Windows reinstallation, the drive was repartitioned—removing the old D: partition and merging everything into C:. Fortunately, data isn’t always immediately erased; it just becomes invisible to Windows. The less you use the PC, the higher your chances of recovery.

What You Can Do Next​

1. Immediate Precautions​

• Minimize using the PC, especially avoid writing files to the C: drive.
• Do not attempt to install or download recovery software directly onto the SSD—use another computer if possible.

2. Scan for Lost Partitions or Data​

Your D: partition may still be recoverable using third-party recovery tools. Here are your options:

• Partition Recovery: Tools like EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, MiniTool Partition Recovery, or TestDisk can scan for lost partitions. Sometimes, they can restore the partition table and make your D: visible again.
• File Recovery: If partition recovery doesn’t work, use file recovery tools (same as above) to scan the unallocated or lost space for recoverable files.
• Note: Because your main partition now occupies the full drive, any new data (including the new Windows installation) may have overwritten some of the old D: data. But you may still get lucky with partial recovery.

3. Using EaseUS Partition Master​

• If EaseUS Partition Master offers a “Partition Recovery” wizard, try running it on your SSD and look for the old D: partition.
• If you spot it, try restoring it. If not, proceed to file-level recovery.

4. If You’re Not Comfortable Attempting This Alone​

If the data is especially valuable, stop now and seek help from a professional data recovery service. The more you work with the drive, the higher the risk of overwriting recoverable data.

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Summary Checklist​

1. Don’t install/download anything on your SSD.
2. Use another PC to create a bootable USB with data recovery software, or use a professional service.
3. Try partition recovery, then file recovery if necessary.
4. Be patient—scanning large drives can take hours.

If you have questions about specific tools or steps, or want recommendations for trustworthy free/paid data recovery software, just ask!

 

[datawizard0103]

I have a desktop PC with a 1 TB SSD, an Intel i7 processor, and 32 GB of DDR4 memory, running Windows 11 Pro.The hard drive had two partitions, C and D. After successfully reinstalling Windows 11 from a USB drive, the PC worked normally again. However, only one partition, C, was left on the drive, measuring 953 GB. The D drive, which contained my important data, was gone.I thought the new Windows would be installed on the C drive and leave the D drive intact. With EaseUS Partition Master, I see the following information about the driveartition 1: FAT32 100 MB; Partition 2: Other 16 MB; C: NTFS 953 GB; and Partition 4: NTFS 687 MB.Does anyone on this forum know if there's a way to recover the data from the old D drive?

After reinstalling Windows 11, your D: drive disappeared because the installation likely deleted all existing partitions and created a new single C: drive. The data from the D: drive may still be on the disk if it hasn't been overwritten. To try recovering it, stop using the drive immediately to prevent further data loss. Use professional data recovery software such as Stellar data recovery, Recuva, EaseUS, or TestDisk, running it from another computer or a bootable USB. Scan the entire drive—not just the C: partition—and save any recovered files to a different drive. If recovery software doesn’t work, a professional data recovery service may be your last option.