Windows 2000, data loss, help please.

Firstly, can anyone explain why Windows 2000 would, when told to format an existing 30gb partition on a 320gb SATA II drive with 2 other partitions on it, the setup delete all the partitions and create a 127gb system partition? Anyone? It gave me no warning of this...and I had to boot to a frankenstien install on another disk to figure this out...


Which brings me to my second question. Short of professional data recovery services, are there any programs capable of retrieving deleted but not overwritten data/partitions? I just want names of programs, price is a non-issue. At this rate I would pay a good deal.

Help is vastly appreciated. 

>>1
...explain why Windows 2000 would the setup delete all the partitions...

???

If the partitions you want to recover are FAT32/NTFS, get this program called GetDataBack. You'll just have to look on p2p services a bit (paying for software is so 90s). It's a really great program.

>>2
Precisely. I have no idea why. And Windows has offered no explanation...
>>3
I'll look into it, thanks. :)

parted, boot to a Knoppix CD and use the "recover" feature

Are you sure you made that 30GiB partition? Win setup has option to delete all partitions and make one for windows and then format it.

>>6
It was pre-existing (I had installed on it before >_>). I told windows to format it and copy the required files over to it.

>>1
try using a real operating system, like freebsd perhaps.

>>8
>>9
http://www.pcbsd.org/