Computer Trouble after Installing an SSD

[Fiery Winds]

I just installed Windows 7 on my new SSD (Intel 520 120GB) and made the bonehead move of installing the OS while my other two HDDs were connected.   

Current Setup:

SSD: Win7
HDD1 Partition 1: Win7 OS
HDD1 Partition 2: Data
HDD2 Partition 1: Steam
HDD2 Partition 2: Backup

I can access HDD2 just fine, but HDD1 that previously held Windows was unallocated space according to Win7 Disk Management.

I was able to partially fix it by reinstalling Win7 on the SSD with it being the only drive connected, running CHKDSK on HDD1 and it did about a 30 minute scan of "Orphaned Files". After booting up Win7 on the SSD, I could now see HDD1.

Here's the problem:

While HDD1 Partition 1 shows up in the same state as yesterday, HDD1 Partition 2 shows a state from 6 months ago.  Same organization and files.  I'm currently running Easeus Data Recovery Wizard but that is estimated to take 12 hours, and I want to see if there is a faster way to restore the state as of yesterday.

[rumborak]

I have a hard time imagining a mechanism where your hard drive magically reverts itself to a state from 6 months ago. Did you maybe accidentally mix up your data and your backup partition, so that you're actually looking at the backup one? That is, maybe you've always backed up on HDD 1 partition 1, and your actual data drive was hdd 2 partition 2, but you  didn't realize it

Rule #1 of data recovery: First you fully understand what happened, then you set tools on the data.

rumborak

[Fiery Winds]

Believe me, I'm just as shocked as you.  I double checked by disconnecting my backup/steam drive, so all I'm looking at is my old Windows partition (which is perfectly fine) and the Data partition on the same physical disk.  I think during the CHKDSK process, it restored pointers to everything, but those pointers were outdated.

[rumborak]

No, what I mean is, maybe you always thought that partition was your data partition, but because Windows rather haphazardly assigns drive letters, you actually swapped the data and the backup partition, thinking one was the other.

Have you plugged in hdd 2 to see what's on that supposed backup partition? I wouldn't be surprised if that actually holds your regular data.

[Fiery Winds]

No, it's not that at all. The file organization on both was completely different.  The backup drive was a couple folders.  One for a backup of critical files, another for a system image.   

My data drive had my music, movies, shows, etc. and it looks exactly like it did 6 months ago before I reorganized it. Not a single file on there is within the past 6 months.

[rumborak]

I dunno, there's still something missing I think. Chkdsk can do some things, but it can't just revive files from 6 months ago. I could see how the system might think they're 6 months old (through some system clock snafu).

rumborak

[Fiery Winds]

I can't play any of my video files (even in VLC) off the drive.  Just sits there and won't play at all, no error or anything. 

Ok, now things are getting REALLY weird. 

Some of my mp3s will play but the file doesn't match the song.  I'll play AC/DC - Hells Bells and it'll start playing Bryan Adams, but in the middle of the song.  It'll play for a couple minutes and then within the same track in WMP it'll start playing Cheap Trick's Magical Mystery Tour.   

[Sigz]

Some of my mp3s will play but the file doesn't match the song.  I'll play AC/DC - Hells Bells and it'll start playing Bryan Adams, but in the middle of the song.  It'll play for a couple minutes and then within the same track in WMP it'll start playing Cheap Trick's Magical Mystery Tour.   

I had that happen once or twice when uploading to my old MP3 player, I assume there's some corruption in the transfer process that causes it.

[Fiery Winds]

Ok, +1 to Easeus Data Recovery Wizard.  It found all my "hidden" files and is restoring them to my second HDD.  I suspect that something altered the partition table when I installed Windows on the SSD.  I've read that Windows will install a boot sector on another drive if present, which is why you always disconnect any other drives before installing an OS.  Fortunately, it seems like only the pointers to my files were deleted, because the files that are transferring now are fully functional.