recovery software angst

We have an 11 mo old Dell Dimension that's RAID Array failed last week. Prior to the upcoming failure (many warnings it was about to happen) we purchased a Maxtor 80 GB external hard drive (EHD). When Dell's techno savvy expert came to reinstall the hard drives, he neglected to disconnected the USB so something happened along the way to make the system not recognize the EHD and rendering our $100 purchase useless.

Nonetheless, I am trying to recover my lost files via PC Inspector File Recovery. However, it only finds my folders, and the subfolders, not any of the contents of each folder. Has anyone had any trouble with this happening? I have heard nothing but good things about this freeware but am having trouble myself (the files were def. there before all this happened). I would rather not spend the $$ on something like GetDataBack if I don't have to.

Do I have to go back folder by folder to find the missing subfiles??? My main concern is my pictures that I have on it....and a cookbook made for my family from my grandmother's recipes. HELP!!

Also, all the files are viewed as unhidden so there isn't the chance of them being there and me not seeing them.

TIA!!

-Linda

Just to clarify:

You are trying to recover files from the EHD? or the RAID drives?

Also: How was this data lost?

Do you know exactly what the Dell guy did?

yes, recovering from the EHD....I saved all my important information to it, but I forgot to disconnect it before the Dell guy installed and formatted 2 new RAID drives. I would have thought he would have known to disconnect all peripherals (sp) before beginning any hardware installs. I think when he formatted them, he did something to the entire system because initially he didn't even format them and didn't even know they were RAID! So, he had to come back and replace them again, it didn't work so they sent us a new one....I was hoping the new one would find the EHD but it didn't, because the partition was erased. I went into disk manager, to find it so that I could recover the files. And that is where we are. I have folders and sub folders but no files. UGGH!!! TIA!

Sorry for more questions but just trying to understand what happened.

Dell installed 2 new drives / formatted / reinstalled xp / not knowing they were RAID?

Then:

Dell came back to try again & it didn't worK? The computer didn't work?

So they sent you a new one? A new what? A new drive?

What partition do you refer to as being erased?

If you can see the EHD under Disk Management why do you say you can't find the EHD?

yes, he came, formatted hard drives *not the RAID portion of it* and left, I was left to format windows, etc. When I was on the tele. w/ tech supp. trying to fix what he didn't do, it wouldn't work, but they got me running w/ 1 HD. Then, two days later, he came back to install 2 new drives again, and format RAID first this time....again, it didn't work. So, Dell sent a new tower to us. I was hoping that when the new tower came it would recognize the EHD...which it did only in device manager, but not in my computer. So, that is why I went into disk management to make it visible. The partition that was nonexistant was the EHD's.

I hope that explains it a little better...I know it is hard when you can't see something.

TIA,
Linda

Well things are becoming a little clearer. You've gone thru alot of changes!

So now you have essentially a brand new computer that sees the EHD under Disk Management but not under My Computer?

Usually this would indicate the need to format the drive: but let's leave that for the moment.

Under Disk Management can you right click EHD & Open & or Explore? Also how much disk space is reported as used?

it does want to format it....but I chose not to because I didn't want to delete all my files....even though I couldn't get to them....

anyway, under DM under EHD it says I have 0 bytes free and 0 bytes used....it will only let me choose properties, not open or explore. I have to format to use those. It also indicates that it is RAW -- not sure if that matters or not....

And my computer does NOW see it under my computer because I created a new partition under disk management...but DID NOT format it. Shoudl I format it even though that means deleting all off the drive and just using the recovery software? I just get a little nervous doing that, but I still don't understand why my folders are found but no files???

Thanks again,

The File System is RAW?

Just one shot in the dark if you are able to:

Right click & Change Drive Letter?

If this option is available change the letter to some unused letter.

changed it to L....all drives are now listed as partition for layout....basic for type....and the file system for my EHD is now blank....my c drive is NTFS, and one drive is FAT and the other is FAT32. That tells me nothing, but it will probably tell you something. I also tried double clicking on the hard drive and the system still tells me that I need to format it.

next....????

and now when I try to explore the EHD I get the message 'the parameter is incorrect'.....