Lost data... please help!

[Marjan]

Dear all, please help me if you can...

I'm running a G5 / 2.5 Dual Processor under Mac OS 10.3.8, and I recently lost data.
In fact, I can't remember erasing it, but I assume I did it cause I can't find the files.
I'm talking about 1.50Gb. I may have erased the folder that contained it all. But it's strange cause it was important data to me, and I dont think I would erase it by mistake.
Can data disappear because of some disc fault or something?

Anyway, let's get to the point.
As I haven't writen anything after I noticed that they had disappeared (on the partition the files were in), I tried to recover them using Techtool Pro 4.3.
The result of my attempt was a 4.61Gb file called 2Z694-5064.dmg.
But when I double-click it, I get a window saying: "The following disk image failed to mount. Reason: No mountable file systems."
Unfortunatelly I'm not surprised, as I've been told that Techtool is just as good as Norton's bull [bleep].

So then I contacted a few companies in the UK who specialize in recovering data.
But they charge a lot of money! And although the data is important, it's not worth what they charge.
Having said that I'd still like to get it, and I've been reluctunt to use that 70Gb partition while I'm not totally convinced that there's no cheap way around it.

I've also been told the fact that Mac OS X is based on Linux makes it very hard to recover deleted files... I have no idea why...

Is there anyone who could help...?

Thanks...!

[TC1]

I had that happen to mean. I lost a Drive with GIGs of music. I took it to:

Lazarus Data Recovery
(415) 495-5556
(800) 341-3282
381 Clementina St
San Francisco, CA 94103

If you in northern Calif they saved me a lot of $$$$ since our music turns into dollars. I wish yoiu the best.

Khayree

[RadioMoo]

There is a known issue in OS X that gives you the "The following disk image failed to mount. Reason: No mountable file systems" message sometimes. You might want to search the Apple Knowledgebase. Knock wood.

[maccool]

Try Disk Warrior, which is the go-to utility for Mac if Disk Utility can't fix it. In building a replacement directory for the volume with the lost data on it, DW may be able to put those files on the Desktop, from which you can save them to a safe place, before DW replaces the directory (DW's finest feature; Norton and others will make changes first and may render the volume irreparable)

First thing, consign Norton to the wheelie-bin.

Try DU, then DW, then TTP4.

Are you using File Vault?

Backup?