CentOS - Feb 2010 - recover data on usb drive

Hi gang

I just did a really stupid thing...

I did fdisk and removed the ext3 partition on my 500GB external USB drive,
thinking I was working on a usb stick instead. ugh.

then I did 'mkdosfs' on it. ugh ugh.

Before messing with it any more at all, what good ideas can you all
suggest for trying to get my data back? 

Please don't tell me it's all gone (though I"m afraid it is).

this was a backup from a Lacie 2bigNetwork that's off for repair, so
if I really have trashed it my family is gonna kill me. :(
Especially my son who had all his anime on the 2big.

I'm all ears....

-- 
---- Fred Smith -- fredex at fcshome.stoneham.ma.us
-----------------------------
   "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged
   sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; 
              it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."  
---------------------------- Hebrews 4:12 (niv) ------------------------------

> I did fdisk and removed the ext3 partition on my 500GB external USB drive,
> thinking I was working on a usb stick instead. ugh.
>
> then I did 'mkdosfs' on it. ugh ugh.
>
> Before messing with it any more at all, what good ideas can you all
> suggest for trying to get my data back?
>
> Please don't tell me it's all gone (though I"m afraid it is).
TestDisk <http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk>

TestDisk can

     * Fix partition table, recover deleted partition
     * Recover FAT32 boot sector from its backup
     * Rebuild FAT12/FAT16/FAT32 boot sector
     * Fix FAT tables
     * Rebuild NTFS boot sector
     * Recover NTFS boot sector from its backup
     * Fix MFT using MFT mirror
     * Locate ext2/ext3 Backup SuperBlock
     * Undelete files from FAT, NTFS and ext2 filesystem
     * Copy files from deleted FAT, NTFS and ext2/ext3 partitions.