📎 AI Summary:
The thread discusses data recovery after a clean Windows installation, with the original poster seeking advice on retrieving data from drive D after formatting. The responder explains that typically, all data is lost during a clean install and emphasizes the importance of backing up data beforehand; they also clarify that drive D is usually a recovery partition, making data recovery extremely difficult. The overall sentiment highlights the importance of data backup prior to system reinstallation, warning that recovery post-formatting is generally very challenging.

sameh83

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2010
Messages
209
Thread Author #1
I had to clean install yesterday and rightfully so, i lost all of my date from drive (D). Now, i would like to know how to recover any of this data after formatting? (How do i make my internal HDD become a slave and therefore readable and able to recover data?)
 

Jimbo22

Essential Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2008
Messages
5,036
Generally speaking when doing a clean install, all the data is lost. It's recommended to save any data one wants to keep before doing a clean install.

Note: When doing a install of any kind, the drive affected is the C drive which is the default drive assigned by windows. So any other drives should not be affected, unless you have partitioned the C drive. If this is a retail PC/laptop, the D drive is the hidden partition which contains the recovery partition to restore the device to factory condition. A clean install will wipe all this all this out and recovering the data is next to impossible.