This might be a long shot...but

Hightower86

I have encountered a problem with my USB key, one of the lads at work borrowed it and used it on computer which ended up clearing everything on the USB key! Its a problem with the computer as it done it to another lads USB key but he was somehow able to retrieve his lost data. The same method was tried on mine but it didn't work

Now i'm stuck with an empty USB key and the last 5 years work gone! (and before anyone says it, yes i should have backed it up!! Hindsight is great) Now i've been to PC World who say the only way to retrieve the lost data is to send it the UK to a lab where they'll retrieve it, problem is they want to charge me €850 for it!

Can anyone offer any advice on how to retrieve the lost data or refer me to someone that could do it for me?

Big Lar

Try this,

http://blog.enrii.com/2008/04/12/recover-deleted-files-from-usb-drive/

meemeep

I recovered one recently using photrec ( I think) but I've used lots of diff. freeware for similar jobs. Do a quick google - loads of advice there.

Jackena

Em surely your mate should pay for it? He broke it? I would if I lost a friends data.

bonzodog2

Photorec,Recuva and Recover are free, try them first. Then there's R-studio and GetDataBack and prob others. Don't save anything to the stick in the meantime. Does it still show up as a drive letter in Explorer ?

Overheal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Live_SkyDrive

Free, too.

Surely theres SOME record of your work? On any of the PCs? The internet? Email?

fionny

Note the more "attempts" to recover the harder it gets to actually recover.