Can I roll back a Ubuntu formatted drive to FAT32?
 

I loaded Ubuntu 8.4 on a data drive (second drive no OS) from a Windows XP-SP3 system. I MEANT to load it on the main XP OS drive. Bottom line I formatted a FAT-32 with Ubuntu 8.4. Can I (freeware hopefully) roll back the Ubuntu formatted drive to FAT-32 so I can recover my data?

If you formatted the drive/partition, and then stored lots of new files on it, the old data is now gone. Sorry. When they say "back up your data even when you don't intend to write on that data", they really mean it.

Thanks for the reply. No, I loaded the Ubuntu OS on it but no data. This post wasn't a desperate plea I just want to know if it can be done OS to OS and if so try it. I didn't lose data I have (almost) everything backed up but I know you can roll back a drive and this is a good time for me to find out if it is possible.

Don't know...

The tool recommended for data recovery by many at LQ is TestDisk and its cousin PhotoRec. It is on several rescue and recovery live-cds

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk

I don't know if it would be of use in your case. You should read the documentation and the wiki for TestDisk and other possibilities.

http://www.forensicswiki.org/wiki/Main_Page

It is a good idea to make a cloned copy of the HDD with Clonezilla or the command "dd" so that the first unsuccessful attempt at recover is not the only possible attempt at recovery.

Installing the OS adds lots of new files already. Hence your old data is probably gone already.

Thanks thorkelljarl! I'll try that! Thanks fbsduserfor the input, FYI a hard drives use a master boot record that's backed up on the drive. Forensically you can use the copy to recover the contents of a disk after even a "low level" format. The ONLY sure way to erase a hard drive is either shred it to pieces in a grinding machine or use a bulk eraser with a VERY strong magnetic field. Commercial software nuke programs use an algorithm that erases the data 35 times to make sure it can't be read and I think if the FBI got a hold of your drive after that they would STILL be able to recover some or all of the data!