# Disaster Strikes: What to Do When You Accidentally Delete Files or Format Disks in the Cloud

Recovering lost files or formatted disks in a cloud server can be a daunting task, especially if you're not familiar with the recovery process. Unlike physical computers, where you can simply remove the disk and attempt to recover the data, cloud servers require a more complicated approach.

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### **Steps to recover your lost data:**

1. Gracefully shut down the system. This will prevent any further damage to the disk and improve the chances of recovering lost data.
    
2. Mount the **formatted disk as read-only**. It is essential to mount the formatted disk as read-only or avoid any read operations to the disk if possible.
    
3. **Recover the partition table of a formatted disk**.
    
    Use [**TestDisk**](https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk), a powerful tool that can analyze and recover lost partition tables.
    
    **Follow the Steps:**
    

* Install TestDisk on your cloud server.
    
* Launch TestDisk and select the formatted disk.
    
* Select "Analyse" and wait for the tool to scan the disk.
    
* Select "Quick Search" to search for lost partitions.
    
* If Quick Search doesn't find the lost partition, select "Deeper Search" to search for more partitions.
    
* Select the lost partition and choose "Write" to save the partition table.
    

[**PhotoRec**](https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec): Media file recovery tool

* Use [PhotoRec](https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec), which can recover files (especially media files) from a formatted disk or a deleted partition.
    
    **Follow the steps:**
    
* Install PhotoRec on your cloud server.
    
* Launch PhotoRec and select the disk where the deleted files were located.
    
* Select the file system type of the disk.
    
* Choose the partition where the deleted files were located.
    
* Select "Search" and wait for the tool to scan the disk.
    
* Select the files you want to recover and choose "Copy" to save them to a safe location.
    

[**R-Studio disk recovery**](https://www.r-studio.com/): powerful GUI recovery tool

If you prefer GUI Tool then use, [R-Studio disk recovery](https://www.r-studio.com/) is an excellent tool that does a great job of recovering lost files or formatted disks.

* Follow the steps:
    
* Install R-Studio on your cloud server.
    
* Launch R-Studio and select the formatted or deleted disk.
    
* Select "Scan" and wait for the tool to scan the disk.
    
* Select the files you want to recover and choose "Recover" to save them to a safe location.
    

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**Recovering lost files from boot partitions from the cloud server**

1. Create a new instance to store boot partition data in a separate disk.
    
2. Prepare another disk to mount with sufficient disk space to store the dump of the deleted partition.
    
3. Use the dd command to transfer the data from a deleted instance to a newly created disk in a new server, you can use the dd command.
    

* Use the following command to copy the data from the deleted disk block to a new disk for storing the block:
    

```bash
# Cloning boot disk remotely
# run this command from server where file was deleted

sudo dd if=/dev/sdX | ssh username@server sudo dd of=/dev/sdY
```

* Replace "sdX" with the deleted disk block and "sdY" with a new disk for storing the block.
    
* Use any tools mentioned above to start recovery.
    

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### **Conclusion**

Follow the Instructions Carefully While the recovery process begins, it can be time-consuming, so be patient.

Links:

1. R-studio [https://www.r-studio.com/](https://www.r-studio.com/)
    
2. Test-disk [https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk](https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk)
    
3. Photo-rec [https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec](https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec)
    

Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions and leave me a comment if you have any problems or questions.

Till then, Keep on Hacking, Cheers