I uninstalled my operating system? Recovery?

Question

This question comes in two parts. The first part:

Well, I was meaning to install Ubuntu (a Linux distro) to a partition on my hard drive, but accidentally clicked the wrong partition; the partition with all my windows system files. The thing started formatting that partition for less than 5 seconds (I don't know why it has to format it! Someone's bound to make a mistake and ruin their operating system!) before I caught on and stopped it. In those 5 seconds, my the Ubuntu installer formatted my WHOLE hard drive, partitions and all.

Here's the obvious question: How do I get it back? I really doubt I can, so I don't have much hope hanging on the one. If I can't get anything back, including my daughters First Communion pictures that I will never see again which were in my pictures folder, then this leaves me with another question.

(By the way, I'm running out of room, so I'll move to an addition thing soon).

Is there a way, if I can't restore my system, to get my manufacturer to send

me a install CD of Windows Media Center which didn't come with my computer? I have a warranty on it, so they should be able to send me a copy of windows, right?

Also, when I call to ask for another copy of Windows, should I call TigerDirect (the people I bought it from) or Acer (the manufacturer of the laptop)?

Please help me. I can't run ubuntu forever, even though I have compiz fusion which is way cool.

Answer 1

sorry, that datas gone. sorta
once the boot sector and first few tracks (directory structure)
are wiped, the data cannot be accessed.

for details on possible data recovery, check here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_recovery

ubuntu boasts an easy dual install, but I didn't find it that simple either.
I lost data as well.

Good question. I'd say acer should give you the cd.
Are you sure the laptop didn't come with a recovery disk?
its odd that it wouldn't.

Answer 2

Ohh... men, why in the hell you did format a wrong partition, bro... Well, I'm afraid you can not recover it anymore. And the worst, you formatted it in a different OS, if you accidentally formatted it in Windows, may be you can still recover it, but I still doubt it. By this moment your 1010001101011110110001 data in your harddisk was now replaced by 0000000000000000000 data.

Once written you can not change it anymore.

Answer 3

If you get the manufacturer to send you the back-up discs, then when you boot from the cd you should get the option of re-installing or repairing windows. If you select repair, it may leave your documents intact