Recover erased files from a CD-R/W disc?

[Ichinisan]

Windows CD-Recording TOTALLY SCREWED ME OVER.

I just copied a file to a CD-R/W using Nero 6 Ultra Edition. It was mastered as single-session and the disc was fully closed. After burning, I tried to copy the file off of the disc to verify integrity. To my suprise, it would not copy (CRC - Cyclic Redundancy Check error). I used Windows XP's CD-Recording service to format the disc by right-clicking the drive and choosing the option (Erase? Format? I don't remember...). Then I dragged the original file onto the CD-ROM drive. I got some sort of error while it was copying. The file still appeared as "waiting to be written to the CD", but the size was 0 bytes.

I looked for the original file I had just dragged. Windows is supposed to copy it to the temporary CD-Recording folder. It wasn't there! Windows is NOT SUPPOSED TO MOVE the file!

Ironically, I think that the problem came from a damn program called "Undelete" from Software Shelf. The program was supposed to save my ass in this situation, but I believe it is responsible for losing the file.

@#$^%@#!!

Even though the file on the disc before I formatted appeared to be corrupted, it would be better than nothing at all.

 

[Auric]

My advice: Always use Nero verify option. Never use Windows recording. If you want to drag 'n' drop, use a CD-R with InCD and MRW format. Don't make it more complicated and problem prone with additional software wot just gives you a false sense of security. Arrowkey makes some good recovery software.

 

[Jeff7]

Better option might be to try to recover the file from the hard drive, rather than the CD. Based on what I know about the way CD-RW's work, I don't think there's anything left, at least if you do a full-erase, and not a quick erase. A quick erase might be recoverable, but not a full-erase.
HDD's do leave the file largely intact though when they delete them; a recovery utility shold be able to get it/them back, provided that that area of the drive hasn't been overwritten.

 

[Amorphus]

wait... you finalized a CD-RW?

try getting a file recovery program - there are numerous ones out there.