📎 AI Summary:
The thread discusses a user's issue with creating a Windows 8 Recovery USB on an external hard drive, which resulted in the unintentional erasure and merging of existing partitions, causing concern over data loss. Respondents suggest that using an external drive instead of a USB for recovery purposes is unusual and warn about potential data loss, recommending professional recovery services or data recovery software as possible options. Overall, the conversation highlights the risks involved with partitioning and recovery media creation, with users advising caution and data recovery efforts.
A

Angela V

New Member
Member details
Joined
Aug 10, 2015
Messages
1
Thread Author #1
The other day, I attempted to make a Windows 8 Recovery USB using my external hard drive and the Media Creation tool. I specifically made a new partition for this process, as I had two other partitions on it with data. Making sure that the partition that was empty was selected, I successfully created the media. I couldn't get it to boot, however, and when I looked on the hard drive, its erased and merged my other two partitions, turning them into unallocated space, and the G: partition was the recovery drive.

I don't want to touch the recovery partition, because I don't want to screw anything else up.

Please help, I had a lot of important files on there and I'm not sure what to do.
 

Solution
nmsuk
Firstly unplug the drive, then download Link Removed replug the external drive point undelete at it and if lucky it may find your deleted files. Hope it helps but is a long shot.
Sort by date Sort by votes
kemical

kemical

Essential Member
Member details
Joined
Aug 28, 2007
Messages
36,163
#2
Hi Angela,
I've never heard of anyone using an external drive before as normally one uses a USB drive. You could well have lost the dat a unfortunately. If you took it along to a professional company they might be able to save some data but only at some cost to yourself and it's not always certain what they can save. It might just be worth putting it down to experience
 

Upvote 0 Downvote
nmsuk

nmsuk

Essential Member
Member details
Joined
Sep 7, 2009
Messages
4,328
#3
Firstly unplug the drive, then download Link Removed replug the external drive point undelete at it and if lucky it may find your deleted files. Hope it helps but is a long shot.
 

Upvote 1 Downvote
Solution
You must log in or register to reply here.