Can files be retrieved after being truncated or hidden.

I'm not sure what is meant by truncated.

Some of this depends upon exactly what you did (might be helpful to know).

If what you did damaged the drive's directory then that can be repaired with Diskwarrior. You could also see if Disk Utility's First Aid can repair, but it isn't all that powerful.

If what you did deleted files (e.f. formatting the drive), try using an application such as [Data Rescue 3|http://www.prosofteng.com/products/data_rescue.php] or [FileSalvage|http://subrosasoft.com/OSXSoftware/index.php?main page=product_info&productsid=1]. Both have free trial versions that let you see if the software will help before you decide to buy. You will also need a second hard drive equal to or larger in size than your first drive as a destination drive for recovered files.

http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/datarecovery.html

It is critical that you do not use the drive or even turn it on until you have rescued your files. Files only have the directory reference to them removed when you empty the trash or otherwise delete them from a drive (unless you use secure erase, in which case they are gone forever or can only be potentially be recovered by very expensive means) and are still present on the computer. However, their space is marked as available to any other file creation done on the computer (even done by you using the drive) and there is risk that your files will be overwritten by the computer.

As for hidden, do you mean they are just invisible, or did they disappear because of something you did in Disk Utility? There are ways of making files invisible (and visible) but this is not what has been done if a file has been damaged or is deleted.

Message was edited by: Limnos

Message was edited by: Limnos

I take it this is a Mac drive? Many Mac utilties won't touch non-Mac drives, but then DU's repair shouldn't even have looked at it either.

If it is a Mac drive I am surprised the repair button did that much to it, unless it was pretty bad to start with.

Did you let the two trial versions of the file recovery utilities have a look at it? They don't modify the drive.

OK, but that's not a "Backup" drive then if that is the only place the files exist.

MS-DOS/SMB will often truncate long file names like...

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/142982

This is a tough call, but I still think a PC stands the best chance repairing or recovering those files.

Not sure what you mean by two trial versions of the file recovery utilities

"If what you did deleted files (e.f. formatting the drive), try using an application such as Data Rescue 3 or FileSalvage."

BDaqua's probably right in a PC standing a better chance at recovering PC formatted files.

Why can I not run my programs?
Some mac files have a data fork & a resource fork. When these files are copied to a Fat32 drive, they get split into two files. What you see is the data fork. The resource fork is pre-pended with ._ Files beginning with . get hidden on unix by default. You should see them on Windows. So, maybe there exists a name difference between the hidden & visible files.
Applications have to end with .app to run. Applications are really a folder with the extension .app Perhaps this got confused.

If you happen to attach the drive to a mac system, turn off spoltlight via spotless.

For best results, get another drive & make a complete copy of the drive the unix command dd. Work with the backup when trying to recover.


I do not recommend fat32 for a backup drive. You should be using mac os extended (journalled )

Robert

I presume this is a Fat32/MS-DOS formatted volume? If so you might need a PC to repair it.

You say Backup disk, does that mean you still have the originals?