Harddrive recovery

hey guys I recently wiped my laptop since I was about to throw it away (Screen doesn't work, was connected via tv monitor), and uh...I bought about 500$ of a few different crypto back in 2012 and I just took a look at their prices today...is there any way to recover them?

Can i download the wallet I used back then and like...enter login info or something?


now if I try to turn the computer on, keeping in mind the screen is broken, I can't really do anything. It starts, but I don't see any image on my tv any more.

>throw away 500$ and not take care

just end your life already, since you don't value anything really. hope you won't be able to recover the files.

I obviously forgot about it

Possibly.

Depends on if you did a quick reformat, or a full rewrite to zero format. One takes about 10x longer than the other.

Basic reformat simply overwrites your file directory. All the files are still there, but the listing of where they are located in memory is gone. This is easily recoverable.

Full rewrite goes through and changes every bit from 0 or 1 back to 0. This is much more difficult to recover.

Do you know which one you did?

um...the second one

am I fucked?

Why didn't you look to see what's on your computer before wiping it user. You never know what gold is stored in it.
Anyways sorry for your loss. Better luck next time. Just purchase mooncoin all will be well

just google "disk recovery utilities", depending on formatting the files may have been marked for deletion but not scrambled.

Or use professional recovery services (lots of money and they call the cops if you got the wrong files on there)

it was mostly filled with tons of files from university when I went through depression

kinda just wanted to get rid of it, but also didn't want to compromise any security since I was working in a lab at the time

alright I'll try that

It's not like a life changing amount but it'll put a good dent in the student loans

Not necessarily, but it is going to be much more difficult.

Data can still be recovered from a full-reformat.

First most important thing, stop using the laptop at all.

Every time you use it you risk overwriting the sector that contains your wallet keys.

If you really have $500 in crypto from 2012, then you likely have 1000x returns and it is worth it to take it to a professional data recovery specialist. But there a hundred bullshit places out there who might fuck your drive or fuck you.

I literally just did a recovery on a drive of mine that got reformatted (quick) and can recommend you to the person but I don't want to post their shit on Veeky Forums.

How to best connect with someone outside of Veeky Forums?

DO NOT USE FREE DOWNLOAD TOOLS

They often access and analyze your data in ways that cause overwrites.

This is what a professional data recovery specialist will do:
Step 1) Clone your laptop drive (source) to a secondary drive (clone)
Step 2) Copy the clone to a third drive (working)
Step 3) Perform data recovery analysis and troubleshooting on the working drive.

Data recovery is a long and intensive process on hard disks and are prone to regular failure. If your drive fails, you're fucked. That's why you clone it, and then clone it again so you aren't risking fucking your original drive, or the good clone.

well I didn't exactly pick great coins lol, I bought shit like dogecoin. I don't know if it was exactly 2012, I remember it was when bitcoin first hit 1k~ so I looked into it, was around December?

I remember it dropped briefly from 800$ to 200$ and I put most of my money into that because I figured it'd spike up again, but that was in the middle of my exams

it should ''only'' be like 4000$ now but still kinda significant

is that still worth paying a professional specialist?

pay one who isnt going to call cops

Legit data recovery experts will perform the above described analysis to determine whether or not they can recovery it before they quote you the cost on it.

I've got a professional guy that is legit AF I just don't know a good way to connect with you off Veeky Forums to share his info.

DO NOT WRITE DATA TO IT
DO NOT ACCESS IT
DO NOT INSTALL ANYTHING

Immedietly remove the drive and clone the entire disk in ISO image. From there you can do forensics without actually using the disk.

Sounds like OP used it for uni studies, and isn't worried about content other than security of his crypto keys.

Still, going with big orgs instead of a boutique specialist is asking to get your keys stolen by some mid-level employee who "sorry mate, couldn't find the keys" as he zooms off in his lambo.

This user knows.

But one step further, don't do any analysis on the clone. Clone the clone and analyze that. That way when you do any forensics on it that might fuck it up, you aren't forced to reclone your original and risk fucking it.

well I'm in europe haha, I don't know if we're even in the same country

I'll definitely look for a specialist at a big organization though, thanks a lot!

Do NOT use a big organization, IMO. Less accountability. Your drive will get handed to some random mid-level who can easily jack your shit.

I'm in USA and so is the professional that recently helped me.

Let me ping my dude and I'll post here if he knows any good DRS in Europe; country?

oh my bad I misread that as go with a big org instead of a boutique specialist

I'm in the UK

Beleive me, the extra money is worth it. I work at a norwegian firm and we ship our drives with courier to germany for analysis.

Less concerned about the cost, more concerned about the integrity. Bigger organizations can take a bad customer experience/review and keep the lights on without caring. Boutique specialists who rely on their reputation for sustained business are less likely to do so.

But I'm paranoid AF, which I think is healthy when it comes to data integrity/security.

Theres a reason we pay - at times - tens of thousands just for transport of drives to reputeable firms. Of course I woulnd't recommend that approach if we are only talking about a few tens or hundreds in btc. Research and industry knowledge is important here.

fyi if you want to talk to someone off of Veeky Forums give a throwaway email

Thanks user

OP, email me here; I've got someone in the UK for you: [email protected]

OP, got your email, need you to include an email address in the message so I can respond to you there with my legit address.