Can you get your old data back? That all depends on just what you did.

Did you install the RH system to free unused disk space? If yes, your data and operating system are probably still there. Did you install a boot loader like Lilo or Grub?

Did you format the drive? If yes, you are probably out of luck.

Post back as much information on how you did the install of RH, and we'll see if there is any way to get it back. We need to know answers to the above questions in order to help.

Well, I Installed redhat and it asked while installation: remove old partitions, remove old linux, keep, and I removed all stupidly.. is there any hope though? I've known some software that can recover data after formatting an HD under windows, is there anything like that under Linux?
Thanx for your reply... camorri

If you re-partitioned the disk there is no hope. Unerase programs under windoze can only recover files because a basic erase command only makes a change to the directory, and does not re-write the clusters where the data is. Once you partition the disk, what ever was there is not recoverable by normal software. There are a very few companies that specalizes in data recovery, but that is costly. So unless you are prepared to spend quite a lot, forget it, learn linux, and backup your data regularly.

If you plan on re-installing windoze, be forewarned, windoze re-writes the MBR, (master boot record). That will make your machine so it will no longer boot linux. If you must re-install, do so, and after, boot your system from the RH install disks. There should be an option to install Lilo or Grub. Install the one of your choice, and you will wind up with a dual boot system. Have a look around the forum. There are lots of threads on dual booting. My system triple boots.

Dear frikends,
I found a solution, I FDisked the hard, then re installed windows.

after that, I used "R-studio" software to recover data and it worked! my most valuable data is now retrieved.

now I'll re-install the RH again, but I want windows to remain, is that ok?

Thanx

I happy to hear you recovered your data. Take the time to back up everything that is valuable before you try any more installs. By that I mean, back it up to removable media, if possible, CD's or DVD if you have a burner. If not I woudl suggest you think about adding one first. A little riskier approach is to add a hard drive or a partition on your existing drive and back your data up there. A program like Ghost will back things up to back up partitions.

Multi boot systems will work, I'm running three different systems on my two hard drives. Here is just one link I found by googling dual boot.


http://www.geocities.com/epark/linux...w2k-HOWTO.html

I know there are a lot more. Get a good understanding of what you are doing before you try it.

The big picture... The best and safest method is to add a new hard drive, that way you don't have to muck with your working windoze system. No need to partiton the space in advance. The insatller can be guided to use the free space. Most installers have partitioning and formatting tools in them. Have a look around for a tutorial on installing your distro. There are samples of the screens you will be walked through.

If you do not know how to add a drive, or you don't want to, then use a program like Partition Magic. Dicide how much space you need for windoze and how much for linux. Linux will install to a relativley small amount of disk space, depending on the applications you want to run. With PM, you shrink the space for windows, to create free disk space, This is where you put linux. There are lots of threads on how much space is enough. Once you have created the space, boot the install CD's and do the install. You will have to install either Grub or Lilo. These programs are boot loaders.

Good luck, and post back if you have more questions.

Is a million Thanx for you, I'll post again if I experienced any troubles, Thanx for all the people in this community and for the efforts of this website..