Converting ext3 to ext4 resulting in loss of data?

[James Hogarth]

>
> Yes, a high price indeed!
> Photorec recovers most of the files, but it gives them random filenames. LOL.
> Now I can imagine myself sorting the files based on file types and
> starting from doc files first, then opening the 2000+ doc files one by
> one and rename it accordingly.
> LOL. DARN!!! ^^
>
> I will not forget to make backup first again....
> I will not forget to make backup first again....
> I will not forget to make backup first again....
> I will not forget to make backup first again....
> I will not forget to make backup first again....
> I will not forget to make backup first again....
>

Yup that's because it has grabs the raw file data from the disk as it
sees it and tries to be intelligent over what it finds to determine
filetype and start/end of files.....

However metadata such as date modified, names and so on are not stored
in the file itself but in the 'index' of the filesystem (exact
behaviour depends on filesystem with extX, FAT, NTFS being slightly
different in implementation)... as such seeing as you formatted and
nuked this information it doesn't know it.... so can only give it a
random name whilst guessing filetype.... good luck ^^

James